High-speed rail services hit as strong quake shakes remote area in western China
- Magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck mountainous area of Qinghai province at 1.45am on Saturday
- Tunnel damage forced service suspensions on some sections of high-speed rail lines in the region
The magnitude 6.9 quake struck at 1.45am in a mountainous part of Qinghai province, which lies 3,659 metres (12,000 feet) above sea level. It was felt 140km southeast in Xining, the provincial capital, where some people rushed outside their homes and buildings.
Nighttime video posted online by CGTN, the overseas arm of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, showed furniture and ceiling lamps swaying and livestock suddenly standing up and moving in their pen.
Photos from the state-owned China News Service showed scattered damage to homes, including a broken window and wall tiles and a large ceiling section that had fallen.
The quake was felt at the Menyuan Hui autonomous county, about 53km from the epicentre, where four people were treated for minor injuries, officials said.
There are five villages within 5km of the epicentre, Xinhua said. An initial investigation there showed that no casualties or property damage had been reported yet, according to Guo Yong, deputy director of provincial emergency management.
Qinghai and neighbouring Gansu province had sent about 500 rescue workers to the epicentre, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in an online statement. Another 2,260 rescuers from neighbouring provinces were on standby.
The ministry and the China Earthquake Administration have dispatched a team to Qinghai to help investigate the situation and resettle any affected residents.
