China’s Gansu province hit by 5.6 magnitude earthquake, injuring at least 7

At least seven people have been injured and more than 110 dwellings damaged after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake rattled the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu on Saturday morning.

No fatalities have been identified in the first round of inspection by local rescue teams, who said eight houses had collapsed, according to the state broadcaster CCTV, adding that all of those injured had been hospitalised.

Chinese central authorities activated the level-four national earthquake contingency response – the lowest in its four-tier system – and deployed a working group to the quake zone after the event, according to a statement from the country’s emergency management ministry.

Wang Xiangxi, the emergency management minister and deputy commander of the earthquake relief headquarters at the State Council, China’s cabinet, urged “the rapid verification of the earthquake conditions and damage”, the ministry said.

“The disaster situation is still being assessed,” added the statement, which was issued three hours after the earthquake.

The quake struck Longxi county in southeastern Gansu at 5.49am local time at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.