Found Alive: Rescue Worker Comforts Dog Trapped in Rubble After China Earthquake in Lalu Village, Hetuo Township, Dingxi

Survival Story: The dog in the picture, seen receiving water from dedicated rescue workers, endured a harrowing 77 hours under the debris.

Following the earthquakes that shook much of northwestern China on Monday, the death toll is estimated at 95, with over 800 people requiring hospital treatment. Tragically, additional landslides caused by rain last night claimed at least nine more lives, with eight others still missing.

The village of Nanyu witnessed the most devastating landslide: 13 people died, and nine bodies were recovered, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Rescue operations are actively underway in the neighboring village of Yongguang, where four people are missing following this natural disaster.

Against the Odds: The dog survived more than three days trapped in the ruins of its home after an earthquake, drinking rainwater.

Recovery in Progress: A compassionate rescuer tends to the dog, caring for it after successfully extracting it from the rubble of a quake-destroyed building in Lalu village, Hetuo township, Dingxi.

Located along the Yellow River, the region features rolling hills of soft soil carried south from the Gobi Desert. Recent storms have further destabilized the terraced slopes, exacerbated by the seismic event.

The earthquake’s impact was substantial: affecting around 123,000 people, with 31,600 relocated to temporary shelters, according to the provincial earthquake administration’s website. Nearly 2,000 homes were destroyed, and approximately 22,500 were damaged. Urban areas, characterized by more robust structures, were spared major damage compared to the traditional mud and brick houses in rural zones.

Discrepancies in reported magnitudes persist: the government’s seismic monitoring center cites a magnitude of 6.6, while the United States Geological Survey places it at 5.9.

Residents gather in an impromptu site on hospital grounds to receive treatment after the earthquake that struck Minxian County in Gansu Province, northwestern China.

According to the local government, the shallow earthquake occurred near Dingxi city in central Gansu province, an arid region of mountains, desert, and grasslands.