Deadly earthquake rocks China, killing more than 120 people

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Rescue crews search through rubble in Gansu Province, China. Associated Press/Photo by Zhang Ling/Xinhua

Deadly earthquake rocks China, killing more than 120 people

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake late Monday night struck Gansu and Qinghai provinces in northwest China, the China Earthquake Networks Center said Tuesday. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the earthquake at magnitude 5.9. Chinese officials said the quake killed at least 127 people, and the government deployed thousands of rescue personnel to the region. The earthquake injured more than 700 people across both provinces, according to Chinese state-owned media. Rescue crews worked overnight to find survivors in freezing temperatures.

What other damage did the quake cause? The earthquake damaged thousands of homes and knocked out some water, power, and communication infrastructure. The quake also triggered landslides and destroyed roads. A hydropower dam about 30 miles from the epicenter was not damaged, Chinese officials told state-owned media.

Dig deeper: Read Sharon Dierberger and Onize Ohikere’s report in WORLD Magazine about a major earthquake in Turkey and Syria earlier this year.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.