Soldiers help to provide relief services for people affected by the earthquake at a resettlement site in Shiyuan Township of Jishishan County, northwest China's Gansu province, Dec 20, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

JISHISHAN - Hospitals in northwest China's Gansu province are currently administering treatments to a total of 784 people injured in the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted the province at 11:59 pm Monday, claiming 113 lives, according to a press conference held on Thursday.

They have been admitted to provincial, prefectural and county-level medical institutions in Gansu, said Bai Yuping, deputy director of the provincial health commission, adding that 19 temporary medical treatment stations and one mobile hospital have been set up to meet the needs of people in the disaster-hit areas.

A total of 28 national and provincial-level mental health experts have rushed to Gansu to offer psychological counseling to hospitalized patients and their companions, the families of the victims, and those affected by the earthquake, including disaster relief workers, Bai (Bai Yuping, deputy director of the provincial health commission) said 

In the past few days, 21 medical teams have been swiftly dispatched to 35 affected villages to conduct door-to-door visits, Bai said.

A total of 102,000 boxes of essential medicines for common ailments like cold, trauma, digestive tract issues, as well as hypertension and diabetes, have been distributed to those in need while further arrangements are being made to send more to the earthquake-affected areas, he added.

READ MORE: How tragedy and resilience unfolded as midnight struck

A total of 28 national and provincial-level mental health experts have rushed to Gansu to offer psychological counseling to hospitalized patients and their companions, the families of the victims, and those affected by the earthquake, including disaster relief workers, Bai said.

READ MORE: Relief efforts gather pace in quake-hit provinces

He added that Gansu is working to set up 35 psychological counseling teams, consisting of 70 members, to visit the 35 villages affected by the earthquake and deliver in-home psychological counseling services. In addition, over 50 mental health experts from various parts of the country will be invited to carry out online psychological crisis intervention and health consultations for the local people. 

Members of the People's Armed Police Force (PAPF) transfer disaster relief materials in Cuijia Village of Liuji Township, Jishishan County, northwest China's Gansu province, Dec 20, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Death toll rises to 22 in Qinghai

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted northwest China at midnight Monday has killed 22 people in Qinghai province, local authorities said.

As of 8:56 pm Wednesday, the disaster had injured 198 people in Qinghai, with 12 others still missing, the provincial emergency management department said.

READ MORE: HK provides over HK$4.5m in disaster relief for Gansu

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake jolted at 11:59 pm Monday and has a focal depth of 10 km. The epicenter Liugou Township is about 8 km from the county seat of the Bonan-Dongxiang-Salar Autonomous County of Jishishan in Gansu province.