Beijing, 19 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - At least 116 people died in a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in northern China late on Monday, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The state news agency on Tuesday said that 220 people were initially reported injured after the quake struck Gansu province.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which put the quake's magnitude at 5.9, said that it struck at 11:59 pm on Monday (1559 GMT).

At least 100 people died in Gansu's Jishishan County, while the neighbouring province of Qinghai initially reported 11 deaths.

Rescue work was ongoing. Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the quake caused damage to houses, roads and other infrastructure in Jishishan. Several villages lost power and the water supply was interrupted.

The provincial fire and rescue bureau sent volunteers to the region. The railway authority stopped trains from travelling through the area.

Chinese state media released photos of people who fled their homes and staying outside wrapped in blankets in wintry temperatures. State television showed rescue workers searching for survivors in the rubble.

According to the local weather bureau, temperatures in Jishishan are expected to drop to -10 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for everything possible to be done to save people.

In 2008, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake which struck Wenchuan County in south-west China claimed 87,000 lives.

Photo: EPA