Earthquake Strikes Qinghai Province
BEIJING: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai on Tuesday, resulting in at least one death and four injuries, as rescue teams rushed to the area to search for trapped survivors.
The quake struck a high-altitude region in the Haixi prefecture of Qinghai at a depth of 10 kilometers at 5:06 p.m. Beijing time (0906 GMT), according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.
Initial assessments indicated that transportation, communication, water, and power lines within 50 kilometers of the epicenter remained operational, as reported by the local newspaper Qinghai Daily late on Tuesday.
State broadcaster CCTV confirmed that approximately 320 personnel have been deployed for the search and rescue operation. State media earlier reported that all workers at coal mines near the epicenter had been evacuated, and authorities are evaluating casualties and property damage.
The main tremor was followed by over a dozen aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 4.9. In response, authorities dispatched tents, beds, and blankets to affected areas and coordinated with companies and charities to provide food and water for displaced residents.
