Moderate quake hits China's Sichuan
2009-09-19

Category Earthquake Nations China States Sichuan Category Regions Source (AFP)

BEIJING (AFP) - A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck southwest China on Saturday, the US Geological Service said but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake hit the border region between Sichuan province and Gansu to the northwest at a depth of about 10 kilometres (six miles), the USGS said.

The epicentre was about 50 kilometres northwest of the Sichuan city of Guangyuan, the report said.

The area, including Guangyuan, was rocked by a devastating magnitude 8.0 earthquake on May 12 last year that left more than 87,000 people dead or missing.

The Guangyuan seismological bureau said Saturday's quake registered a magnitude 5.1 on China's earthquake scale and downplayed the possibility of heavy damage.

"It was not a strong quake, but teams have been dispatched to inspect for damage," bureau official Tang Xingwen told AFP by phone.

"So far we do not have any reports of deaths or damages. We are not expecting any serious damage."