At least 111 people were killed when an earthquake collapsed buildings in northwest China, state media reported Tuesday, as rescue workers raced to start digging through rubble.

About 100 were killed and scores more injured in Gansu province after the strong, shallow tremor struck, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the provincial earthquake relief headquarters.

According to CCTV, 11 others were killed and 100 injured in the city of Haidong in the neighbouring province of Qinghai.

The quake caused significant damage, including collapsed houses, and sent people running into the street for safety, state news agency Xinhua said.

Rescue work was under way early Tuesday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for “all-out efforts” in the search and relief work as well as ensuring the safety of the survivors and their property.

The quake, which was logged as magnitude 5.9 by the US Geological Survey, struck in Gansu near the border with Qinghai, where Haidong is located.

That epicentre is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of Gansu province’s capital, Lanzhou. Several smaller aftershocks followed the initial earthquake.

Xinhua reported the quake — which was felt in Xi’an in northern Shaanxi province, some 570 kilometres (350 miles) away — as magnitude 6.2.

– Freezing temperatures –

Power and water supplies were disrupted in some local villages, Xinhua said.

CCTV showed images of emergency vehicles driving towards the scene with their lights flashing along snow-lined highways.

Rescue workers dressed in overalls were pictured shoulder-to-shoulder in the trucks, while other images showed them lining up in ranks to receive instructions.

Other clips showed emergency personnel going through debris by torchlight, unfolding orange stretchers for the casualties.

Temperatures have plunged to well below freezing across northern China, and footage from one of the worst-hit areas on CCTV showed residents warming themselves by a fire while emergency services set up tents.

Fallen ceilings and other debris could be seen in videos posted on social media.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) at 11:59 pm local time Monday (1559 GMT), according to the USGS, which revised the magnitude downward after initially reporting 6.0.

Officials launched an emergency response and dispatched rescue personnel to the area just after the quake and provincial leaders were also en route, Xinhua reported.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in China. In August, a shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern China, injuring 23 people and collapsing dozens of buildings.

In September 2022, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit Sichuan province leaving almost 100 dead.

A 7.9-magnitude quake in 2008 left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 school pupils.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

At least 111 people have been killed in China’s Gansu and neighbouring Qinghai provinces after the strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake, state media Xinhua reported, citing local earthquake relief headquarters.

This comes after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake jolted an ethnic county in northwest China’s Gansu Province at midnight Monday.

In addition to the death toll, around 200 people are injured, the New York Times reported citing Chinese state media.

Regarding the situation, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged ‘all-out’ search and rescue efforts and proper arrangements for affected people to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.

According to Global Times, Xi has issued important instructions, demanding full-scale search and rescue efforts, proper resettlement of affected people, and maximum efforts to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.

In another development, the State Council’s earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management have upgraded the national earthquake emergency response to Level II

Xinhua reported, citing the China Earthquake Networks Center, that the quake jolted at 11:59 p.m. (local time) on Monday and had a focal depth of 10 km.

The epicenter Liugou Township is about 8 km from the county seat of Jishishan Bao’an, Dongxiang, Sala Autonomous County in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu.

The witnesses said that the earthquake caused damage to houses, roads and other infrastructure. Several villages have suffered power failures and disruptions to water.

Xinhua reported, citing local meteorological authorities, that the daily low temperature in Jishishan is reported to reach minus 10 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

The provincial fire and rescue department has sent 580 rescuers, aided by 88 fire engines, 12 search and rescue dogs, and more than 10,000 sets of equipment, to the disaster area.

Hu Changsheng, Party chief of Gansu, and Ren Zhenhe, governor of Gansu, have rushed to the disaster area to command rescue and relief.

The railway authority has also suspended passenger and cargo trains passing through the quake zone and ordered a safety check of railway tracks, Xinhua reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

At least 111 people were killed after powerful earthquakes hit two separate provinces in China on Monday. The earthquakes have left a trail of destruction in their wake, prompting emergency teams to sift through rubble to rescue those trapped.

A video capturing the exact moment of one of the earthquake’s impacts has surfaced online, revealing the terrifying force that shook buildings and homes across the affected region. The tremors were reportedly felt in major cities of Gansu province such as Xi’an and Chengdu.

#UPDATE: Video captured the moment when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture in NW China’s Gansu on Monday night. The quake can be felt in major cities like Xi’an and Chengdu. pic.twitter.com/CrDeQBbnyO

— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) December 18, 2023

The video shows buildings shaking, rubble falling and people immediately rushing out of buildings. The aftermath of the quake was marked by collapsed houses, shattered infrastructure, and a surge of panic that sent residents fleeing to the safety of the streets.

China’s President Xi Jinping has issued a call for “all-out efforts” in the search, relief work, and safeguarding of the survivors and their belongings.

Power and water supplies were disrupted in some local villages, Xinhua said.

CCTV showed images of emergency vehicles driving towards the scene with their lights flashing along snow-lined highways.

Rescue workers dressed in overalls were pictured shoulder-to-shoulder in the trucks, while other images showed them lining up in ranks to receive instructions.

Other clips showed emergency personnel going through debris by torchlight, unfolding orange stretchers for the casualties.

Temperatures have plunged to well below freezing across northern China, and footage from one of the worst-hit areas on CCTV showed residents warming themselves by a fire while emergency services set up tents.