Earthquake of magnitude of 5.3 jolts China, no causalities reported

Beijing: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter Scale on Thursday struck China’s northwest Xinjiang region and Tibet provinces. The quake hit Amdo County in Tibet Autonomous Region at a depth of 10 kilometers at around 4:34 am (local time), China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said. The same earthquake with an epicenter in Luntai County struck the Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China’s Xinjiang at 5:18 am (local time), it said. [caption id=“attachment_2583482” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational Image. Reuters[/caption] The quake was strongly felt in the county, but no casualties have been reported so far, according to the county government, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The Qinghai-Tibet railway was not affected. Amdo, situated in the north of Tibet and 4,500 meters above sea level, lies on an earthquake-prone belt. It is 330 kilometers away from Lhasa, the regional capital. No casualties have been reported yet, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Xinjiang Earthquake Administration has sent a team of seven people to Luntai County. Authorities in Luntai would continue gathering information about casualties and property loss, a local official said. PTI