6.3-magnitude quake hits Qinghai, 1 killed

At least one person was killed and four others injured after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Northwest China's Qinghai province at 5:06 pm on Tuesday, local authorities said as rescue efforts got underway.

As of 6:40 pm, all workers from coal mining enterprises near the epicenter had been evacuated, according to the Dachaidan earthquake authority in Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan autonomous prefecture, quoted by a Xinhua News Agency report.

Further checks on casualties and property losses were underway, the report said.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers. The average altitude within 10 km of the epicenter is 4,302 meters.

After the quake, the office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management launched a level four national emergency response. They dispatched a working group to the area to guide response work, according to the ministry.

China's national comprehensive fire and rescue forces dispatched 320 rescuers, 78 vehicles and 10 search-and-rescue dogs to the site, the ministry said on Tuesday night.

Minister of Emergency Management Zhang Chengzhong urged all-out efforts to search for and rescue trapped people, allocate relief supplies, assist and relocate affected residents, and strengthen earthquake monitoring, tracking and analysis, it said.

The China Earthquake Administration also launched a level three emergency response after the quake, it said on Tuesday night.

Wang Kun, head of the administration, made immediate arrangements for emergency response work and held video links with the China Earthquake Networks Center and the Qinghai provincial earthquake agency, it said.

Wang urged relevant units to strengthen earthquake monitoring, tracking and analysis, carry out joint consultations and report developments in a timely manner.

The Qinghai provincial earthquake agency has sent a field team to the quake-hit area to assist local authorities in emergency response work, the administration said.

jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn