The strong earthquake that hit northwest China earlier this week and killed at least 148 people has caused economic damages worth millions, the news agency Associated Press reported on Saturday (Dec 23) citing state media. The earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck in a mountainous region on Monday night between Gansu and Qinghai provinces and about 1,300 kilometres southwest of Beijing.
State media reported that 117 people were killed in Gansu and 31 others were killed in neighbouring Qinghai, and three people were missing. Nearly 1,000 people were injured in the disaster and over 14,000 homes were destroyed.
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In Gansu, preliminary assessments showed that the province’s agricultural and fisheries industries lost around $74.6 million. A report by CCTV said that authorities were considering the best use of the relief fund (that was set up days before) for the agricultural sector to resume production as soon as possible.
‘A race against time to house earthquake victims’
A local official told the news agency on Thursday that authorities were racing against time to make sure victims of Monday’s earthquake were sheltered from the freezing winter.
“Right now, it’s a race against time to meet the needs of the population as quickly as possible, so that people can spend a warm winter in complete safety,” Zhou Yongfeng, an official from Gansu’s Jishishan county, said.
Following the earthquake, a huge logistics operation unfolded with thousands of relief workers setting up shelter, food, and other facilities for the displaced, AFP reported.
The earthquake was China’s deadliest since 2014 when more than 600 people were killed in southwestern Yunnan province.
On Friday, a report by CGTN said that said the first batch of 500 temporary housing units had been built for residents in Meipo, a village in Gansu as winter intensified. Many had spent the night in shelters set up in the area as temperatures plunged well below freezing point.
(With inputs from agencies)
Source: Thanks WIONews.com