EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA KILLS AT LEAST 75

 

On Monday morning, Beijing time, the USGS measured a 5.9 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was in central China's Gansu province, west of the city of Tianshui, where the Chinese government initially determined the quake as a 6.6 magnitude.

No injuries or deaths were reported immediately in the province that has a population of 26 million. At least 75 people have now been confirmed dead by the local government. 

As many as 400 people were reported with injuries and more remain missing.

Additionally, a good amount of structural damage reported in the area. Brick and stone walls crumbled, glass on the side of a high rise shattered. Thousands of homes have been reported damaged thus far.

The epicenter of the earthquake lies in the Himalaya, an area where the India and Eurasia plates have been colliding and converging at a rate of 40-50 mm per year.

Following the first quake, there was a series of aftershocks, one of which registered at a 5.6.

Source: Agencies