Authorities say a powerful earthquake has shaken western China.
The quake struck at around 1.45am in the sparsely populated Menyuan Autonomous Region of Qinghai province. It has a magnitude of 6.9 and a depth of 10 km.
The epicenter was reported 140 kilometers (85 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, Jining, at 3,659 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level.
The epicenter was reported below the ground, however; no tsunami alert was issued. In addition, rescue and fire brigades have been dispatched from Qinghai and the neighboring province of Gansu, according to the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management.
