Strong earthquake shakes remote area in western China

BEIJING — A beardown overnight earthquake shook a sparsely populated country successful occidental China aboriginal Saturday and forced the suspension of high-speed obstruction work due to the fact that of passageway damage, authorities said. There were nary contiguous reports of injuries.

The magnitude 6.9 quake struck astatine 1:45 a.m. successful a mountainous portion of Qinghai state that is 3,659 meters (12,000 feet) supra oversea level. It was felt 140 kilometers (85 miles) southeast successful Xining, the provincial capital, wherever immoderate radical rushed extracurricular of homes and buildings.

Nighttime video posted online by CGTN, the overseas limb of authorities broadcaster CCTV, showed furnishings and ceiling lamps swaying and livestock abruptly lasting up and moving successful its pen. Photos from the state-owned China News Service showed scattered harm to homes including a breached model and partition tiles and a ample ceiling conception that had fallen.

There are 5 villages wrong 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the epicenter, the authoritative Xinhua News Agency said.

Service connected immoderate sections of a high-speed obstruction enactment from Lanzhou successful Gansu state to the Xinjiang portion was halted due to the fact that of harm to respective tunnels, Xinhua said. Some lines betwixt Qinghai and Tibet were closed and inspectors were sent to cheque the tracks.

Rescue and firefighting teams successful Qinghai and neighboring Gansu state person sent astir 500 rescuers to the epicenter, the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management said successful an online statement. Another 2,260 rescuers from neighboring provinces were connected standby.

The ministry and the China Earthquake Administration dispatched a squad to Qinghai to assistance analyse the concern and resettle immoderate affected residents.