Strong earthquake strikes remote western China

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January 7, 2022, update date: January 7, 2022, at 11:48 pm

In this photo released by Xinhua, people stand in the street after an earthquake in Xining, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, early Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. Last night’s earthquake struck a sparsely populated area in Western China early Saturday, according to authorities. He said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. (Wang Bo / Xinhua via The Associated Press) Wang Bo / The Associated Press

BEIJING (AFP) – A strong earthquake struck a sparsely populated area in western China early Saturday, forcing the suspension of high-speed rail service due to damage to tunnels, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake at 1:45 a.m. struck a mountainous region in Qinghai Province at 3,659 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level. The quake was felt 140 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Xining, the provincial capital, where some people rushed out of homes and buildings.

A nighttime video released by CGTN, the external arm of the state CCTV station, showed furniture and ceiling lamps swaying and livestock suddenly standing and moving in their pen. Pictures from the state-owned China News Service showed sporadic damage to homes, including broken windows, wall tiles and a large section of the roof that had fallen.

Xinhua said there were five villages within five kilometers (3 miles) of the quake’s epicenter.

Xinhua said that service on some parts of the high-speed railway from Lanzhou in Gansu Province to Xinjiang region has been halted due to damage to several tunnels. Some lines between Qinghai and Tibet have been closed and inspectors have been sent to inspect the railways.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said in an online statement that rescue and firefighting teams in Qinghai and neighboring Gansu Province had sent about 500 rescuers to the epicenter. 2,260 rescuers from neighboring provinces were on standby.

The ministry and the Chinese Earthquake Administration has sent a team to Qinghai to help investigate the situation and resettle any of the affected residents.

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