6.2 Quake Hits China, Death Toll Rises

Death toll rises to 111 after earthquake in China's remote northwest

By Liz Lee and Ryan Woo

A magnitude-6.2 earthquake jolted a remote and mountainous county on the northern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau around midnight on Tuesday, killing at least 111 people and injuring more than 230, according to Chinese state media.

The quake struck Jishishan county in China's northwestern province of Gansu at 11:59 p.m. local time (1559 GMT) on Monday at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), according to China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

Rescue and relief efforts are under way and a working group has been dispatched to assess the impact of the disaster, state media said, with the number of missing people in the quake's aftermath unknown.

The epicentre of the latest quake was 5 km from the border between Gansu and a neighbouring province. Strong tremors were felt in many parts of Qinghai province, the official Xinhua news agency said.

China's national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief and Ministry of Emergency Management have activated a level-IV disaster relief emergency, Xinhua reported.

Videos and photos on social media showed rubble around collapsed buildings and residents standing in open spaces in the dark, some huddled in thick blankets.

Rescuers search for survivors