CHENGDU: A total of 86 people have been killed, and 35 remain missing after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Luding County in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Monday, local authorities said Thursday.
The rescue headquarters said that among the deaths, 50 were killed in the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and 36 others in the city of Ya’an as of Thursday noon.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake struck Luding County in Ganzi at 12:52 p.m. on Monday.
According to the Sichuan provincial public security department, its rescue forces have searched and rescued more than 1,500 people trapped in the quake and evacuated 5,782 others to safety. –Agencies
The department has mobilized 1,695 police officers and auxiliary personnel to join the earthquake relief effort, and sent more than 2,300 others to help smooth out traffic in the quake-affected areas.
The playground of Shimian County Middle School has been transformed into a helipad that can accommodate two helicopters at the same time. The helicopters have been commissioned for transporting the injured as well as carrying rescuers and relief materials.
Unmanned aerial vehicles and 5G-connected ambulances have also been deployed to assist with rescue operations.
According to the State Grid Sichuan Electric Power Company, the power supply has been restored to nearly 80 percent of affected users in the quake-hit area of Luding.
The company said the earthquake tripped the operation of 57 power transmission lines and shut down 10 substations, disrupting the electricity supply to about 40,000 users.
The company has deployed 2,456 persons, 794 vehicles, 265 electricity generators, 13 power-generating vehicles, 142 sets of emergency lighting equipment, 134 drones and one helicopters in its quick relief operations.
