One dead, four injured after magnitude 6.3 earthquake in China's Qinghai

BEIJING: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai on Tuesday (Jun 16), killing at least one person and injuring four others, state media reported, citing emergency authorities.

The quake struck a high-altitude area in the prefecture of Haixi in Qinghai with a depth of 10km at 5.06pm Beijing time on Tuesday, ‌the ⁠China Earthquake Networks Center said.

State media said all workers at coal mines near the epicentre have been evacuated and authorities are still assessing casualties and property damage.

Earlier, state agency Xinhua reported that rescue teams were rushing to the site to search for people trapped and were assessing risks of secondary disasters.

China's earthquake administration has activated emergency response for the temblor, which was followed by several aftershocks including one measured at a magnitude of 4.9.