A powerful earthquake shook a mountainous region in western China near a famous national park on Tuesday evening, with no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
According to The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.5 quake struck a region bordered by the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu at a depth of just 9 kilometres (5.5 miles). Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.
The China Earthquake Networks Centre measured the quake at magnitude 7.0 and said it struck at a depth of 20 kilometres (12 miles).
The Chinese agency said the quake occurred at about 9:20 p.m. near Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley.
The area is located on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau in northern Sichuan province, home to many Tibetan and other ethnic minority villages.
The epicenter struck about 39 kilometres (24 miles) from the county of Jiuzhaigou, which has a population of around 80,000, in an area that’s 2,000 metres (6,562 feet) above sea level.
