China Earthquake 7.1 Magnitude: 23 Killed

It has been reported by authorities that more than 23 people have been reportedly killed in an earthquake in China on Wednesday.

 

The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 as per the Richter scale and it hit the Qinghai province located in the northwest China. It has been reported by China Earthquake Networks Center that the earthquake hit at 7.49 a.m. at the Yushu prefecture and it hit at 33 km depth. The earthquake was followed by three aftershocks.

 

A publicity official with the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, Zhuohuaxia said, "Many are buried in the collapsed houses. There are still lots of others who are injured and being treated at local hospitals."

 

Commander of the Yushu military area command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Wu Yong said, "Our soldiers have pulled 10 people from the collapsed houses, but four of them had died. The death toll may rise
 further as lots of houses collapsed. We are now putting up tents and transporting oxygen to prepare for treating the injured. But roads leading to the airport have been damaged, hampering the rescue efforts."

 

Rescue operations are carried in China and Qinghai and Tibet have dispatched two rescue teams to aid the earthquake-hit areas. Telecommunications of the affected regions were cut for some time soon after the earthquake.