No casualties reported yet from Tibet's 5.6-magnitude quake

LHASA -- A 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted Cona county in the city of Shannan, southwest China's Tibet autonomous region at 5:22 pm on Friday, with no casualties reported yet as of 7 pm., said local authorities.

The local government immediately carried out an emergency response and conducted investigations into possible damage caused by the quake.

Currently, the county's communication systems, electricity and water supply are operating as normal. No reports of casualties or damage to houses have been received and no roads have been cut off, said local authorities.

"The quake was felt clearly in the county seat and was felt strongly in Kardag Township," said Budo, head of the county government.

"I was in my office on the fifth floor when the quake happened and I felt the shaking," said a resident surnamed Jiang in the urban area of Shannan.

Cona is one of the border counties of Tibet, about 225 km away from the city of Shannan and more than 360 km away from Lhasa.

The epicenter was monitored at 27.67 degrees north latitude and 92.89 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.