7 Injured, Dozens of Aftershocks Recorded After 5.6-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northwest China

At least seven people were injured after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Longxi County in Gansu province, northwest China, early Saturday morning.

The China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said the quake occurred at 5:49 a.m. local time at a depth of 10 km, with the epicentre located about 140 km southeast of Lanzhou, the provincial capital.

Authorities confirmed that none of the reported injuries were life-threatening, and no casualties have been recorded so far. However, eight houses were destroyed and more than 110 buildings sustained varying levels of damage.

Neighbouring counties, including Zhangxian, Weiyuan, Lintao in Dingxi, and Wushan in Tianshui, also felt the tremors. Residents as far as Xi’an, 400 km east, reported shaking. The quake triggered 42 aftershocks, two of which measured between 4.0 and 4.9 in magnitude, raising safety concerns among locals.

Emergency videos aired by CCTV showed rescue teams clearing rubble and inspecting damage in rural villages. Authorities have dispatched firefighting units, rescue forces, and rapid response teams. China’s cabinet initiated a level-IV national earthquake contingency response, alongside a stronger regional level-III emergency response.

Wang Xiangxi, emergency management minister and deputy commander of the national earthquake relief headquarters, urged “rapid verification of the earthquake conditions and damage” to speed up relief operations.

Transport services were also affected, with three train routes suspended and a nearby high-speed rail line forced to reduce its speed to 40–60 km/h as a precaution.