China: Earthquake measuring 6.2 hits quake-prone Qinghai Province

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale hit northwestern China's quake-prone Qinghai Province on Monday with its epicentre in a sparsely-populated area. The epicentre of the quake was in Zadoi County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture at a depth of 9 km, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said.

No casualties have been reported so far, said local police. An emergency response has been activated, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The quake was strongly felt in the county seat, said Li Lianfu, an official with the Zadoi Earthquake Administration.

All schools in Zadoi suspended classes and students were evacuated to playgrounds following the quake, he added. Local authorities are still investigating the extent of the quake damage.

The quake was 32 kilometres deep, according to US Geological Survey, with its epicentre in a sparsely-populated area of Yushu prefecture. Yushu was hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake on April 14, 2010, which left nearly 3,000 people dead or missing.

Yushu was the scene of a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in April, 2010 that left nearly 2,700 people dead and more than 12,000 injured. In 2011 it was struck by a 5.3-magnitude quake.