Earthquake kills more than 100 in north-west China

At least 111 people died and another 220 were injured following an earthquake in north-west China on Monday, state media report.

The quake struck in Gansu province around midnight (16:00 GMT), damaging buildings both there and in the neighbouring province of Qinghai. Rescue efforts were under way early on Tuesday morning.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) says the quake had a magnitude of 5.9 and a depth of 10km (six miles).

In a statement issued to officials, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said “all efforts should be made to carry out search and rescue, treat the injured in a timely manner, and minimise casualties”.

The central government has dispatched teams of rescue workers to assist local emergency personnel.

State media agency Xinhua says 100 people were killed and 96 were injured in Gansu, while 11 more were killed and 124 were injured in Qinghai.

Footage from the region showed rescuers searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings and debris on the floor of rooms whose ceilings had partially collapsed. Power and water supplies have also been disrupted in parts of the region.

China sits in a region where a number of tectonic plates – notably the Eurasian, Indian and Pacific plates – meet, and is particularly prone to earthquakes.

Last September, more than 60 people were killed when a 6.6-magnitude quake hit the southwestern Sichuan province.

(BBC)