At least 118 individuals lost their lives, and 500 sustained injuries as a powerful earthquake struck northwestern China in a remote mountainous region, catching many residents in their sleep.

The earthquake occurred shortly before midnight on Monday, prompting residents to flee into freezing temperatures.

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Thousands of homes have been reported damaged, and state media indicated varying degrees of damage to public infrastructure.

The death toll increased as rescuers reached affected areas, with Gansu reporting 105 fatalities and 397 injuries, while Qinghai reported 13 dead, 182 injured, and 20 missing.

This earthquake marks the deadliest in China since the 2010 Yushu quake, measuring 6.9 and affecting Gansu and Qinghai, claiming at least 2,698 lives.

President Xi Jinping called for “all-out efforts” in search and rescue operations, deploying over 3,000 firefighters and military personnel to the area.

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Emergency relief funds of 200 million RMB (£22.1m) have been allocated by the ministries of finance and emergency management.

Gansu’s spokesperson urged people to avoid the quake-hit areas to prevent traffic jams hindering rescue efforts.