A TOTAL of 95 people have been confirmed dead and 130 others injured as of 3 p.m. yesterday, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region yesterday morning.

The earthquake struck at 9:05 a.m., with the epicenter located in Tsogo Township, Dingri County, in the city of Xigaze. There are 27 villages and approximately 6,900 people within a 20-km radius of the epicenter.

President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts to save lives and minimize casualties following the earthquake, demanding utmost efforts to carry out search and rescue and provide medical treatment for the injured. He also urged efforts to prevent secondary disasters, properly resettle affected residents, and handle the aftermath effectively.

The Chinese military has sent a drone to survey the epicenter after the earthquake. The Western Theater Command has dispatched staff to the affected area to coordinate rescue efforts. As of yesterday afternoon, the People’s Armed Police Force Xizang Contingent had deployed over 400 officers and soldiers to the earthquake-stricken area for rescue operations.

More than 3,400 rescuers and over 340 medical workers have been sent to the quake-hit area, according to a press conference on the earthquake.

China’s central authorities have dispatched some 22,000 disaster relief items to the quake-hit region, together with special relief materials for high-altitude and frigid areas.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management said they allocated 100 million yuan (US$13.9 million) to support disaster relief efforts in Xizang.

The National Development and Reform Commission also allocated 100 million yuan to support post-disaster emergency recovery.

The Red Cross Society of China has initiated an emergency response to send 4,600 items of relief supplies to the quake-affected areas, including cotton tents, quilts, insulated jackets and folding beds.(Xinhua)