Rescuers brave cold as China quake death toll rises to 127

Ice-covered roads, high altitude of areas around epicentre hamper rescue work

- Aw Cheng Wei

BEIJING An earthquake struck Gansu province in north-western China late at night on Dec 18, killing at least 127 people and injuring more than 710, in the country's deadliest quake in years.

The 6.2-magnitude quake struck in Gansu's Jishishan, a county with a population of 239,000 located near the border with Qinghai province. Tremors were felt as far as Xi'an in Shaanxi province, some 570km away.

Electricity, water, transport and communication were cut off in some areas, Chinese state media reported. Rescue work was made difficult by sub-zero temperatures, with roads covered in ice and snow, as well as the high altitude of the areas around the quake's epicentre, which are nearly 3,000m above sea level.

A total of 155,393 homes in Gansu have been damaged or destroyed, said official updates on Dec 19 evening.

In Gansu, 113 fatalities have been reported so far, with 536 people injured; in Qinghai, 14 have died and 182 are injured, with 13 people still missing.

Mr Ma Zhongying, who lives in Dongjiagou village in Jishishan, said he was awakened by the quake and woke up his family of six.