86 dead in northwest China earthquake

The quake caused significant damage, including collapsed houses, and sent people running into the street for safety, the agency said. Rescue work was underway early Tuesday.

The 5.9-magnitude quake struck in China’s northwest Gansu province near the border with Qinghai province, where Haidong is located.

Power and water supplies were disrupted in some local villages, Xinhua said.

Fallen ceilings and other debris could meanwhile be seen in videos posted on social media.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km at 11:59 p.m. local time on Monday (1559 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey, which revised the magnitude downward after initially reporting 6.0.

Officials launched an emergency response and dispatched rescue personnel to the area just after the quake, and provincial leaders were also en route, Xinhua reported.

According to USGS, the quake occurred about 100 km southwest of Gansu province’s capital, Lanzhou, and was followed by several smaller aftershocks.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in China. In August a shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern China, injuring 23 people and collapsing dozens of buildings.