QINGHAI, CHINA / MENA Newswire / – China activated a Level-IV national earthquake disaster emergency response after a 6.3-magnitude quake struck Qinghai province, killing one person and injuring eight. The quake hit Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture at 5:06 p.m. on Tuesday. The affected area sits in a high-altitude part of northwest China. Rescue officials said all eight injured people left hospital after treatment.
The China Earthquake Networks Center placed the epicenter at 37.80 degrees north latitude and 95.56 degrees east longitude. It measured the quake at a depth of 10 kilometers. The shallow quake shook communities across Haixi, a vast prefecture on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Early images from the area showed scattered goods inside shops and emergency teams moving into temporary relocation sites.
Local authorities evacuated residents, students and teachers from primary schools, high schools and kindergartens. They moved affected people to five makeshift resettlement sites. Relief teams supplied basic necessities at those sites. Authorities also closed local scenic areas and moved tourists to nearby cities. Officials said rescue and relief work continued under an on-site command structure.
Emergency crews expand relief work
The Ministry of Emergency Management sent a work team to guide earthquake response and disaster relief. National fire and rescue units dispatched 320 rescuers, 78 vehicles and 10 search-and-rescue dogs soon after the quake. More than 1,000 rescuers and nearly 200 vehicles later operated in the affected area. Crews focused on search work, resettlement support and checks for secondary risks.
Qinghai also launched a Level-II provincial emergency response at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday. Provincial teams joined local authorities in emergency coordination. Officials inspected schools, hospitals, mines, reservoirs, roads, railways, bridges and geological hazard sites. Initial checks found no obvious building collapses. Some homes showed cracks. Authorities said nearby tailings ponds showed no cracking or other danger signs during inspections.
Supplies reach resettlement sites
Central and local authorities allocated disaster relief supplies to Qinghai after the earthquake. The shipments included tents, folding beds, quilts, blankets, family emergency kits and emergency lighting equipment. Officials also activated an emergency supplies coordination mechanism. Social groups and companies sent food, drinking water and other goods to the quake-hit area. The aid aimed to support residents at temporary sites.
Authorities evacuated workers from coal mines near the epicenter and checked their status. They also carried out two rounds of personnel checks in affected communities. The updated toll stood at one dead and eight injured as of 11 p.m. Tuesday. Search, inspection and resettlement work continued on Wednesday in Haixi, where emergency teams remained deployed across the quake zone.