No casualties after 6.2-magnitude quake hits NW China
No casualties have been confirmed following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the northwestern province of Qinghai at 3:14 p.m. Monday.
The epicenter of the quake was in a sparsely populated area at an altitude of 4,700 meters in Zadoi County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, at a depth of 9 km, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
No casualties have been reported so far, said local police. Emergency response procedures have been activated.
The quake was strongly felt in the county seat, some 57 km from the epicenter, said Li Lianfu, an official with Zadoi Earthquake Administration. After the quake, some home owners in the county seat reported structural cracks and broken window panes, but power, water and telecommunications were all unaffected.
All schools in Zadoi suspended lessons and students were evacuated to emergency gathering points, such as playgrounds, following the quake, he added.
Local authorities are still investigating the extent of the damage.
Dozens of aftershocks, with the biggest measuring 4.2 magnitude, have since jolted the county.
Zadoi covers an area of 35,000 sq km and is home to around 30,000 people.
Yushu was hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake on April 14, 2010, which left nearly 3,000 people dead or missing.