Tents set up in Gansu’s Longxi county, where the earthquake struck at 5.49am local time on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua

At least 11 injured as 5.6 magnitude quake hits China’s Gansu province

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck China’s northwestern Gansu province on Saturday morning, injuring at least 11 people and prompting the urgent evacuation of nearly 8,000 residents as emergency crews responded to the disaster. Rescue teams said 17 houses had collapsed and close to 4,000 others had been damaged, according to state broadcaster CCTV. There are…

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck China’s northwestern Gansu province on Saturday morning, injuring at least 11 people and prompting the urgent evacuation of nearly 8,000 residents as emergency crews responded to the disaster.

Rescue teams said 17 houses had collapsed and close to 4,000 others had been damaged, according to state broadcaster CCTV. There are no reports of any fatalities.

According to China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, central authorities have activated a level-four national earthquake contingency response – the lowest in its four-tier system – and deployed a working group to the quake zone.

Wang Xiangxi, emergency management minister and deputy commander of the earthquake relief headquarters at the State Council, China’s cabinet, urged “the rapid verification of the earthquake conditions and damage”, the ministry said in a statement issued three hours after the event.

“The disaster situation is still being assessed,” it said.

Tents set up in Gansu’s Longxi county, where the earthquake struck at 5.49am local time on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua
Tents set up in Gansu’s Longxi county, where the earthquake struck at 5.49am local time on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua

The quake struck Longxi county in southeastern Gansu at 5.49am local time at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

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