TEMPO.CO, Beijing - At least 54 people were killed and almost 300 severely injured after two earthquakes struck northwest China early Monday. The US Geological Survey said the initial 5.9 magnitude quake hit at 7:45 am local time, with its epicenter at 151 kilometers west of Beidao, Gansu province.
A second 5.6 magnitude tremor hit the same region at 9:12 am and was 10.1 kilometres deep, USGS said. China's earthquake center reported that the second quake had a higher magnitude of 6.6 SR, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Disaster relief agencies have sent 500 tents and 2,000 quilts to the quake-hit region, Xinhua reported.
Much of western China is prone to earthquakes. A magnitude 6.6 earthquake in the Sichuan province killed about 200 people earlier this year. Five years ago, almost 90,000 people were killed in a huge tremor in the same province.
CHANNEL NEWSASIA | SITA PLANASARI AQUADINI