In China, the number of victims of a powerful earthquake has increased. At least 149 people have died, and two more are missing after a week of searching.
In China, the number of victims due to the earthquake has increased
The emergency department of Qinghai province reported the discovery of another dead person, bringing the death toll to 32.
The earthquake caused the most significant damage in Gansu province, where more than 200,000 houses were utterly destroyed, and another 15,000 buildings were on the verge of collapse.
According to the latest data from Chinese state media, as of Friday evening, December 22, 117 people have died in this province, and more than 780 have been hospitalized with injuries.
Earlier, 113 dead and 782 injured were reported in Gansu province.
In neighbouring Qinghai province, the earthquake killed 18 people, injured 198 and left 16 missing.
Before that, Reuters, citing Chinese state media, reported that at least 118 people died and more than 200 were injured as a result of the earthquake in northwest China.
Earlier, CNN, citing data from Chinese media, reported more than 111 dead.
So far, the earthquake has killed 100 people in Gansu Province and 11 in Qinghai Province. Some objects of water supply, electricity supply, transport, communication and other infrastructure were damaged, the message says.
A powerful earthquake shook China
The earthquake struck around midnight in Gansu province. As of the morning of December 19, the earthquake had killed 105 people and damaged more than 4,700 houses in the province. In the neighbouring province of Qinghai, 11 died.
At least 397 more people in Gansu were injured: 16 of them were in critical condition, and 76 were in serious condition.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake's magnitude was 5.9 at a shallow depth of just over 6 miles (less than 10 km). The Chinese Earthquake Administration gave a slightly higher estimate of 6.2 points.
The aftershocks lasted almost 20 seconds and were felt in the provincial capital of Lanzhou, 102 kilometres from the epicentre.
1,600 firefighters are involved in the rescue operation.
The earthquake led to the disconnection of water and electricity supplies and mobile communications in some areas, which complicated rescue operations.
