Northeastern China jolted by M4.7 earthquake, no word on damages
The northeastern Chinese province of Hebei was jolted by a moderately strong earthquake early Sunday morning.
The tremor, rated Magnitude 5.1 by the China Earthquake Networks Center and Magnitude 4.7 by the U.S. Geological Survey, happened at 6:38 a.m. local time, not far from Tangshan, a community in the densely populated northeast, with an urban area population of more than seven million people.
No tsunami warnings were issued. Local media report that shaking was detected across the region, including in the capital, Beijing. Its relatively shallow depth of only 10 km would have made it more perceptible to a larger number of people.
There have not yet been reports of deaths or injuries, and officials are still assessing the damage, as of Sunday night.
Train service to Tangshan, 100 miles east of Beijing, was temporarily halted while tracks were inspected for possible damage, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
China is an earthquake-prone country, and the same area suffered a stronger Magnitude 7.5 earthquake in 1976 that caused widespread devastation and killed at least 240,000 people.
