A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3on the Richter scale jolted Tanggula region in northwestern Qinghai Province at 6:58 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), Xinhua quoted the China Earthquake Networks Center as saying. The epicenter was located at 33.2 degrees north latitude and 92.1 degrees east longitude in Mongol-Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Haixi. It was 17 km away from the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, said a source from the provincial seismic bureau of Qinghai. No destruction to the Qinghai-Tibet railway was reported, said the bureau. No losses of life and property were reported in the region, according to the government of Mongol-Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Haixi. The Tanggula region, with an average elevation of 5,000 meters, is a quake-prone area and sparsely populated, said an expert with the Qinghai provincial seismic bureau. Qinghai provincial government has asked concerned departments to step up monitoring quake situation and get fully prepared in case of emergencies. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company is cooperating with relevant departments in Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region on quake information sharing and emergency rescue operation in a bid to ensure the safety of and smooth transportation on the Qinghai-Tibet railway.
