Death Toll in Gansu Earthquake Rises to At Least 127

Rescue efforts following China’s deadliest earthquake in nearly 10 years were hampered by the high altitude and temperatures of the region.

On Tuesday morning at least 127 people were reported to have died as the result of a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in northwest China. The quake first struck the province of Gansu late on Monday and severely damaged infrastructure. The mountainous Gansu province is one of the poorest and most diverse regions in the country.

Fatalities could also rise as more than 700 were reported to be injured—that figure is a sharp increase from the 96 injuries that were reported yesterday. Conditions in the region are also freezing, with temperatures reaching -13C (8.7F). Reports say that some people were reduced to starting bonfires in their yards, or setting cardboard boxes on fire in a desperate attempt to stay warm.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly ordered thousands of rescue crews to assist the affected region, and has ordered workers to repair infrastructure. Hours following the earthquake, rescuers are still attempting to dig people out of the rubble. A local official said the government had dispatched 1,400 rescue personnel to the quake zone, with another 1,600 on standby.

CCTV footage captured the moment when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Jishishan county, Linxia, Gansu Province, China on Monday midnight. According to Xinhua, more than 110 people have died in the quake. All-out rescue work is underway. pic.twitter.com/d0M2ETJQ7S

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) December 19, 2023

Rescue efforts are being made difficult by the remote location, high altitude and cold temperatures of the region. The first 72 hours following an earthquake are critical in rescue efforts, but the window is even shorter in this case.

“The golden hour for rescuing people for this earthquake will be shorter,” said Wang Duo, a team leader of the Gansu Houtian Emergency Rescue Corps.

More than 15,000 houses were damaged by the earthquake which also knocked out water, electricity and transportation links in some parts of Gansu. Others were damaged by powerful mudslides that were triggered by the quake, and dozens of roads were damaged by landslides.

WATCH: CCTV footage of magnitude 6.2 earthquake that killed at least 118 people in northwest China#Earthquake #China #ChinaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/tQZj5fn1w2

— World Times (@WorldTimesWT) December 19, 2023

On Monday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said that a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck China at 15:59 GMT. The epicenter of the quake occurred 101 kilometers (62.7 miles) southwest of the Chinese city of Lanzhou at a depth of 11 kilometers (6.8 miles).

More than 300 aftershocks followed the earthquake, and most had a magnitude of 3 or less, state media reported.

It is the deadliest earthquake to strike China since 2014. The Ludian earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1 and killed more than 600 people. Thousands of buildings, as well as a school, collapsed during the earthquake.