Earthquake in Northwestern China Kills Over 100, Winter Weather Hampers Response
At least 120 people are dead following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Gansu and Qinghai provinces in northwestern China. Response efforts have been hampered by widespread damage and freezing conditions.
Transcript
00:00 Capturing the devastation. Residents of China's Dahejia village in Gansu province
00:06 are taking in the horror following the country's biggest earthquake in nine years.
00:11 Living near its epicentre, some have lost everything.
00:15 I'm afraid. I'm very afraid. I don't have a place to live.
00:20 My family has no place to live.
00:25 I don't have a place to live. What should I do?
00:30 I lost a lot of money.
00:34 All the buildings above were destroyed.
00:38 This footage caught the intensity of the quake as it hit,
00:42 killing at least 120 people and injuring hundreds more.
00:47 The magnitude 6.2 tremor struck this part of northwestern China
00:52 on the border between Gansu and Qinghai provinces just before midnight on Monday.
00:57 It was shallow, making the damage even more extensive.
01:01 Rescue efforts were immediate, with disaster response teams trawling through rubble overnight.
01:08 Supplies like food and blankets are being sent to those affected after the quake cut power and water to thousands.
01:16 But inaccessible roads, collapsed infrastructure and landslides which demolished an entire village
01:23 have all slowed the emergency response, adding to the challenge sub-zero temperatures,
01:29 as parts of China have been hit by a historic cold snap.
01:34 The country's state planner has said it's set aside some 35 million US dollars to help Gansu and Qinghai recover.
01:43 Neighbouring Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen took to social media to offer condolences,
01:48 saying her country is ready to help.
01:52 Residents in the remote Dahejiao village have yet to receive assistance.
01:57 "We have no plans at the moment, we can only wait for the government's help."
02:05 But with none yet on the horizon, it could be days or even weeks before they can leave the devastation behind.
02:13 Ryan Woo and Sally Ensign for Taiwan Plus.
02:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]