A Strong Earthquake ripped through China's Gansu Province

A strong earthquake ripped through China's northwestern Gansu Province. The quake, measuring 6.6 on Richter scale, shook the area at the junction of the Minxian County and Zhangxian County. The epicenter, with a depth of 20 km, was 170 km away from the provincial capital Lanzhou. A 5.6-magnitude quake jolted the same area later in the morning.

Communication was cut off in 13 towns of Zhangxian County.  The Minxian County government stated that most of the townships in the county have been affected by the quake.

The townships of Meichuan and Puma were seriously hit. Many homes in the quake-hit region collapsed. The earthquake was also felt in Tianshui city and the provincial capital city of Lanzhou besides in the cities of Xi'an, Baoji and Xianyang in neighboring Shaanxi Province.