BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) – A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai on Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring four, as rescuers rushed to the site in search of trapped survivors.
The quake struck a high-altitude area in the prefecture of Haixi in Qinghai at a depth of 10 km at 5:06 p.m. Beijing time (0906 GMT) on Tuesday, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said.
Initial checks showed transport, communication, water and power lines within 50 km of the epicentre were operating normally, local newspaper Qinghai Daily said late on Tuesday.
Some 320 people are now deployed for the search operation, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
State media previously reported that all workers at coal mines near the epicentre have been evacuated and authorities are assessing casualties and property damage.
The quake was followed by over a dozen aftershocks including one of magnitude 4.9.
Authorities dispatched tents, beds and blankets to quake-hit areas and got companies and charities to provide food and water for affected residents.
The epicentre was near Da Qaidam, home to the mineral-rich Emerald Lake, a popular stop on the Qinghai-Gansu tourist route.
(Reporting by Shi Bu and Liz LeeEditing by Ros Russell, Alexandra Hudson)
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