Beijing: At least 116 people were killed when an earthquake collapsed buildings in northwest China, state media reported Tuesday, as rescue workers raced to start digging through rubble in freezing conditions.
At least 105 were killed and almost 400 injured in Gansu province, local officials said, after the strong, shallow tremor struck around midnight.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, 11 others were killed and 100 injured in the city of Haidong in the neighbouring province of Qinghai.
The quake brought homes crashing down and caused other significant damage, sending people running into the street for safety, state news agency Xinhua said.
" was almost scared to death. Look at how my hands and legs are shaking," said a woman of about 30 in a video posted to a social media account associated with the state-run People's Daily newspaper.
"As soon as I ran out of the house, the earth on the mountain gave way, thudding on the roof," she said as she sat swaddled in a blanket outside, cradling a baby.
Rescue work was under way early Tuesday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for "all-out efforts" in the search and relief work.
The quake, which was logged as magnitude 5.9 by the US Geological Survey, struck in Gansu near the border with Qinghai, where Haidong is located.
Xinhua reported the quake -- which was felt in the major city of Xi'an in northern Shaanxi province, about 570 kilometres (350 miles) away -- as being magnitude 6.2.
Several smaller aftershocks followed the initial earthquake, and officials warned that tremors with a magnitude of more than 5.0 were possible in the next few days.
-Freezing temperatures -
Power and water supplies were disrupted in some villages around the epicentre, Xinhua said.
Footage from one of the worst-hit places on CCTV showed residents warming themselves by a fire while emergency services set up tents.
The broadcaster added that supplies including drinking water, blankets, stoves and instant noodles were also being sent to the affected area.
Rescue workers in overalls were pictured shoulder-to-shoulder in the trucks, while other images showed them lining up in ranks to receive instructions.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated in Gansu, officials said.
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.
A 7.9-magnitude quake in 2008 left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 schoolchildren.
