On Dec 19, the Inner Mongolia Blue Sky Rescue Association (also Baotou Red Cross Blue Sky Rescue Team) set off with urgently needed supplies and relevant rescue equipment for the disaster-stricken area, rushing to Gansu.

Following the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Jishishan county of Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Gansu province at 11:59 pm on Dec 18 (Beijing Time), the Inner Mongolia Blue Sky Rescue Association promptly initiated its emergency response plan around 1:00 am on Dec 19.

Subsequently, the association contacted the Linxia bureau of emergency management, reporting team information. On the same day at 12:00 noon, they established the Inner Mongolia Blue Sky Rescue "12·18" Gansu Earthquake Relief Rear Platform and participated in online rescue services.

Han Zongqiao, assistant to the president of the association, stated, "Based on the information released by Linxia regarding the material needs, the local area is primarily in need of cotton clothing, cotton quilts, and cold-resistant materials such as heating stoves. In response, we gathered materials from across the entire Inner Mongolia autonomous region."

"We have coordinated the acquisition of more than 1,000 sets of cotton coats and other materials from Hohhot. Our association has dispatched seven team members with three vehicles to Gansu to transport the materials," explained Li Haifeng, president of the association.

In the afternoon of Dec 19, team members departed from Baotou with the necessary rescue equipment to transport supplies from Hohhot. Early on Dec 20, they set out for Jishishan county, supplies with the Hohhot Blue Sky Rescue Team.

In addition, nine volunteers from the Qingshan District Veterans Emergency Rescue Station in Baotou equipped with professional disinfection and sterilization equipment, along with rescue supplies, deployed negative pressure ambulances to conduct post-disaster disinfection work and other tasks.