China quake toll 148, focus now on reconstruction

PTI

Beijing, December 23

The death toll from the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted northwest China earlier this week has risen to 148 while local authorities stepped up focus on reconstruction and rehabilitation after five days of gruelling relief and rescue operations amid biting cold conditions.

The quake, the worst in nine years in the region, struck midnight on December 18 at a depth of 10 kilometres. The Death toll in the worst-hit Gansu province has risen to 117 while in the neighbouring Qinghai province, 31 people were killed in the earthquake. As of Friday, the earthquake had injured 781 people in Gansu, according to the provincial earthquake relief headquarters.

A total of 311 temporary relocation sites have been set up for the affected residents in Gansu, and 112,346 people relocated so far. So far, 499 individuals have been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment, while 282 people remain hospitalised. Among them, 17 are in critical condition and 69 are severely injured. Monday night’s quake was China’s deadliest since an earthquake killed 617 people in Yunnan province in 2014.

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