7.0-magnitude quake hits SW China's Sichuan Province

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake jolts Jiuzhaigou County in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 9:19 p.m. on August 8, 2017. [Photo: Weibo.com]

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Jiuzhaigou County in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 9:19 p.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time),  according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter was monitored at 33.2 degrees north latitude and 103.82 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 20 km, the center said in a statement.

Sangey, a worker at the popular Jiuzhaigou tourist site, told Xinhua on telephone that some houses in the scenic spot collapsed and cracked in wake of the powerful quake and authorities are organizing young people to help evacuate residents.

Li Changyong, head of the Jiuzhaigou county health and family planning bureau, said the quake was strongly felt in the county seat, 35 km from the epicenter, and many residents rushed outside buildings.

Li told Xinhua that he saw no buildings in the county seat collapsed and there was no immediate reports of deaths and injuries.

Yu Qian, a local taxation bureau official, said she felt strong tremor in her home on the fifth floor and   she and her two children have rushed outside their home.

Yu said the quake cut off power in her neighborhood and disrupted telephone service linking the scenic area where some of her colleagues worked and lived.

The quake was also strongly felt in the provincial capital Chengdu about 300 km south of the epicenter.

Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, is a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations. More than 38,000 people visited the tourist attraction on Tuesday.

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake jolts Jiuzhaigou County in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 9:19 p.m. on August 8, 2017. [Photo: Weibo.com]

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake jolts Jiuzhaigou County in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 9:19 p.m. on August 8, 2017. [Photo: Weibo.com]