Gansu earthquake causes at least 111 deaths, houses collapse

(ECNS) -- A magnitude-6.2 earthquake jolted Jishishan County in northwest China's Gansu Province, at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, with a depth of 10 kilometers, according to China Earthquake Networks Center.

Jishishan County is five kilometers from the border between Gansu and adjacent Qinghai Province. The earthquake has killed at least 100 people in Gansu and 11 in neighboring Qinghai.

"My house is on the sixth floor, and there are strong tremors. My families were shaken awake, and the heating panel fell to the ground,” a man surname Lu, who lives in Jishishan County, told China News Network.

After the earthquake, Lu and his family rushed downstairs and drove to an open area. Along the way, they saw many residents rushing out of their houses, according to him.

Ma Axiyan, a resident of Chui Matan Town in Jishishan County said that when the earthquake occurred, she didn't have time to care about the clothes and ran out barefoot, seeing bricks and glass scattered everywhere.

Reporters of China News Network saw in the streets of Chui Matan Town that dozens of residents lit fires on the roadside for warmth, some wrapped in blankets, and others wearing thick cotton jackets. The glass on the second floor facing the street was shattered, and glass shards were scattered on the sidewalk. Ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars were shuttling back and forth on the road.

"The chandelier in my room swung violently,""My feet went numb,""I’m on the 22nd floor, and the building swayed severely,""So scared. It's the first time I heard the building creaking" Residents of Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, shared online.

The earthquake relief headquarters of China's State Council, along with the Ministry of Emergency Management, have dispatched a work team to the earthquake-stricken areas.

Reporter Yan Jiao, Li Yalong, Tian penghe contribute to this report.