Developing | Magnitude 6.3 quake strikes southern China

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck southern China near the Indian border on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.7, struck at dawn on Saturday at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles (10km) in a region of southern China close to the Indian border, the USGS said.

It was not immediately known if the quake had caused any damage or casualties but that area of China is sparsely populated. The closest towns are on the Indian side in the remote, mountainous area of Arunachal Pradesh.

The epicentre was within 150 miles (240kms) of the Indian towns of Along, Pasighat and Tezu, the USGS added. A magnitude 6.3 quake is considered strong and is capable of causing severe damage.