"Devastating 7.1 Earthquake in Western China Forces Thousands from Homes, Selfless Doctors Continue Surgery Amidst Crisis"

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in western China has left over 12,000 people displaced and relying on tents and shelters to survive freezing temperatures, with at least three people dead and several hundred livestock killed. The affected area, populated by Kyrgyz and Uyghur ethnic minorities, has been heavily militarized and is part of a region targeted by a state campaign of forced assimilation and mass detention. Aftershocks and freezing temperatures continue to pose challenges for the displaced residents, with the earthquake also causing damage in neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.