Beijing: Chinese authorities have activated a level-4 disaster relief emergency response after a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Autonomous Region, on Thursday.
A working team has been dispatched to support local relief operations in the affected areas, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
A 4.6-magnitude aftershock also hit Yinchuan's Jinfeng District.
Local sources said that many residents were evacuated to public squares, playgrounds and other open areas after the aftershock.
The first tremor caused the collapse of the exterior walls of several old residential buildings, injuring passersby, and several cultural relics were reported damaged.
Since 2024, Yinchuan has been hit by at least seven tremors ranging in magnitude from 2.2 to 3.6.
