In a catastrophic event that marks China’s deadliest earthquake in nearly a decade, a 5.9-magnitude quake (6.2 according to the China Earthquake Networks Center) struck Jishishan county in the northern province of Gansu — leaving behind a trail of destruction and despair.
The quake, which occurred late on Monday night (Dec. 18), has so far claimed the lives of at least 131 people, with hundreds more injured. Now, as rescue efforts intensify, frigid temperatures in the region reaching as low as -19 degrees Celsius (-2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) are complicating the search.
According to local media, the earthquake’s impact was profound and widespread. Homes crumbled, roads were damaged, and essential services like power and communication lines were severely disrupted. The tremors were so powerful that they were felt in as far away as Lanzhou, the provincial capital, located 102 kilometers (about 63 miles) away.
Magnitude of the disaster
In Gansu Province alone, the death toll stands at 113, with 772 people injured, CNN reports. Nearly 15,000 houses collapsed under the quake’s force in Dahe village, one of the worst-hit-areas in the county — compelling tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.
In neighboring Qinghai province, the situation is equally grim, with 18 fatalities, 198 injuries, and 16 people reported missing. The quake was then followed by nine aftershocks, which added to the region’s distress.
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“I’ve lived for more than 80 years and had never seen such a big earthquake,” said a resident who was being carried out of his damaged home by rescuers, Reuters reports.
Braving freezing conditions, rescuers pulled victims to safety after a deadly earthquake rocked parts of China's northwestern Gansu province. Survivors face an uncertain time ahead without permanent shelter following the magnitude-6.2 earthquake https://t.co/sCZSyxbrNJ pic.twitter.com/yVXhUSTATG
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 20, 2023
Now, rescue teams are racing against time in sub-zero temperatures — a daunting task given the harsh winter conditions and forecasted cold fronts swirling through the area. This extreme weather has severely hampered rescue operations, with the bitter cold posing an added risk to both the victims trapped under rubble and the rescue workers trying to reach them.
The quake’s sudden occurrence at night left many residents feeling unprepared and vulnerable. A student at Lanzhou University shared her experience on Weibo, a popular social media site in China, describing the fear and panic as she and her roommates fled their dormitory. “Wearing a down jacket, long underwear, and bare feet in slippers outdoors, where the temperature is lower than –10 degrees Celsius, (I’m) shivering with everyone,” she writes.
A race against time and nature
In response to the disaster, over 4,000 emergency personnel — including firefighters, police, and soldiers — have been dispatched to the affected areas. The Chinese government has also provided essential supplies such as tents, folding beds, quilts, and portable fire pits to support the displaced victims.
The cold weather poses a significant obstacle to the rescue efforts, experts note. According to Wang Duo, an expert involved in the rescue, the “golden period” for rescue typically takes place within 72 hours, after which the chances of survival slim down by a lot. “That precious window is shortened in this case due to the biting cold,” Wang told state-run outlet China Newsweek.
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called for an “all-out effort” in the rescue operations. Recognizing the severity of the situation, China’s Finance Ministry and Emergency Management Ministry also allocated 200 million yuan ($28 million) in natural disaster relief funds to the provinces hit by the quake.