Strong quake hits northwest China

A strong earthquake has hit the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai.

The magnitude 6.5 quake struck at 09:22am local time (01:22GMT) on Monday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties, but the area where the earthquake hit is believed to be sparsely populated.

According to the USGS the quake epicenter was located at a point 1,800km west of Beijing, the Chinese capital, at a depth of 10km.

Reports said that buildings in the provincial capital, Xining, were shaken but no damage was reported.

In May a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, killing at estimated 70,000 people and flattening scores of towns and villages.

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Al-Jazeera

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