Authorities acted preventively
More than 20,000 people were evacuated following the 5.5 magnitude earthquake that shook Gansu province (northwest China) on Monday, although there were no reports of fatalities.
The earthquake was recorded in the town of Diebu – Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Gannan – at 14:56 (06:56, in Lisbon), at a depth of 10 kilometers, with the epicenter located at coordinates 34.06 degrees north latitude and 103.25 degrees east longitude, according to the China Seismological Network Center.
The first inspections after the earthquake revealed the appearance of cracks in buildings, which is why the relocation of residents to higher risk areas was organized while the full extent of the damage was assessed, said local authorities cited by the official Xinhua news agency.
The supply of energy and water, as well as communications, was not affected, according to the same sources.
Around 350 members of emergency and rescue teams and disaster prevention technicians moved to the affected area, while state emergency management bodies activated level IV response.
Social media users in nearby locations said they felt the shock, although no images of significant damage were released.
Gansu province, located in the west of the country, is located in one of the most active seismic zones in China, due to friction between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, especially in areas close to the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau.
Western China, which also includes regions such as Xinjiang, Qinghai and Tibet, frequently records seismic movements of medium magnitude, although the impact is usually limited due to the low population density in large mountainous areas.
In December 2023, a strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Gansu and neighboring Qinghai province caused more than 150 deaths and extensive material damage, in one of the deadliest earthquakes recorded in China in recent years.
