Beijing: 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 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, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
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.
Rescue and relief operations were hampered by biting cold conditions in the mountainous region, local officials said.
After the rescue phase, orderly recovery and reconstruction began in Gansu province.
Sufficient supplies were prepared to ensure a warm winter at the temporary relocation sites for those affected by the quake.
The first batch of 500 makeshift houses has been completed and delivered to residents in Meipo village in Jishishan county — the most affected region by the earthquake on Friday night, state-run CGTN-TV reported.
The area affected by the earthquake in Jishishan is expected to construct over 5,000 movable plank houses by December 27, ensuring the local people have a warm winter.
At the resettlement site in Dahe village, the largest in Jishishan county, express delivery service has been restored to meet residents’ needs for special materials, including partially hydrolysed protein milk powder for newborns with protein allergies.
Supplies bound for the resettlement sites will enter the green channel and be delivered as soon as possible.
Local primary, secondary, and high schools in the county have decided to resume classes. Students at the three high schools have had online classes since Tuesday.
Additionally, students at secondary schools and those in grades four to six at primary schools in the county will have online classes starting next Monday, the report said.
So far the number of relocation sites has reached 311 and 112,346 people have been transferred to safe places, according to the provincial earthquake relief headquarters.
As residents transition from temporary tents to plank houses, the order of life in the resettlement sites will gradually return to normal, the report said.
PTI