China's Gansu ends second-highest earthquake response

JISHISHAN, Gansu Province -- From Friday, Northwest China's Gansu province will terminate the level-II emergency response to a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Jishishan county.

The Gansu provincial earthquake relief headquarters made the announcement Thursday night, saying that the follow-up work will focus on resettling the quake-affected residents and reconstructing the quake-hit areas.

The earthquake struck the Bonan-Dongxiang-Salar Autonomous County of Jishishan in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture last week, causing hundreds of casualties and the collapse of or damage to buildings.

The level-II response is the second-highest in China's four-tier earthquake emergency response system.