Mapped: Gansu earthquake as more than 120 killed in China’s deadliest tremor in 13 years

Rescue workers say ‘golden window’ to find quake survivors has shortened

More than 120 people have been killed in China’s deadliest earthquake in over a decade, with 700 more injured.

The search continues for missing people as authorities said more than 155,000 homes in Gansu had been either damaged or destroyed in the powerful earthquake.

Emergency workers are in the process of preparing makeshift accommodation and meals to those who have been displaced by the disaster as thousands of residents are braced to spend the night in icy weather conditions.

Residents gather outdoors the morning after an earthquake in Dahejia, Jishishan County, in northwest China’s Gansu province (AFP via Getty Images)

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck at 11.59pm (4pm GMT) on Monday night at a shallow depth of 10km. Its epicentre centred in the mountainous region of Gansu province in northwestern China, also affecting neighbouring Qinghai according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

It was followed by a second 5.5 magnitude earthquake hours later in neighbouring Xinjiang.

In Gansu, 113 were killed as of 1pm Tuesday (5am GMT) and 536 were injured according to Chinese authorities. The death tally in Qinghai rose to at least 13 with 182 injured.

Officials said the search for 20 missing people is continuing.

Icy weather conditions have shortened the “golden window” to find quake survivors, Shi Wanjin, a captain of the Gansu Houtian Emergency Rescue Corps, said.

President Xi Jinping said “all efforts should be made to carry out search and rescue, treat the injured in a timely manner, and minimise casualties”.

China’s finance ministry and emergency management ministry jointly allocated 200m yuan (£22.1m) for the earthquake-hit Gansu and Qinghai provinces, CCTV reported.

Gansu struggled with slow economic progress compared to other regions in China due to frequent earthquakes, droughts and famines until recently.

Its deadliest measured 8.2 on the Richter scale and killed around 180,000 people in 1920.