A strong earthquake struck a rural part of western China this Monday morning, killing at least 47 people and seriously injuring 296, according to the local government.
The quake hit near the city of Dingxi in Gansu province, a region of mountains, desert and pastureland with a population of 26 million.
The government's earthquake monitoring centre said the initial quake at 7.45am local time (12.45am BST) was magnitude-6.6 and subsequent tremors included a magnitude-5.6.
The quake was shallow, which can be more destructive. The centre said it struck about 12.4 miles beneath the surface, while the Gansu provincial earthquake administration said it was just 3.7 miles deep.
The US Geological Survey measured the magnitude of the initial quake as 5.9 and the depth at 6 miles.
China's worst earthquake in recent years was a 7.9-magnitude temblor that struck the southwestern province of Sichuan in 2008, leaving 90,000 people dead or missing.
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