A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Zadoi Country of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in China's Qinghai Province on Monday afternoon, state-backed Xinhua News agency reported citing the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which struck at 3:14 p.m. (Beijing time), has a depth of 9 kilometers. It was monitored at 32.81 degrees north latitude and 94.93 degrees east longitude.

Like Us on Facebook

The US Geological Survey said the quake hit a depth of 32 kilometers, about 300 kilometers northwest of the city of Qamdo, the Independent noted.

It is located high on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau at an altitude of 4,700 meters and is "extremely sparsely populated" in a radius of 20 kilometers, according to South China Morning Post. Around 12,000 people reside within 50-kilometer radius of the epicenter.

Preliminary measurement reveals it was a 6.3-magnitude quake.

While the strong tremors were felt up to 36 kilometers away, there were no immediate reports of casualties or building collapses. Local authorities are also investigating the extent of the damage caused by the quake.

CCTV reported that schools across Zaboi were suspended and students were immediately evacuated.

After the first quake, a series of aftershocks followed to the affected area, with the strongest recorded at 4.2. As of 7:00 p.m. (Beijing time), at least 155 aftershocks have been recorded, Xinhua noted.

Following the 6.2-magnitude quake, the China Earthquake Administration activated the level-III emergency response procedures. It has dispatched teams to help.

Meanwhile, the Himalaya region is considered as one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth, RT noted. Its high seismicity is likely due to the continental collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.

The Tibetan Plateau, which lies in the northern part of the Himalaya, expands nearly 1,000 kilometers north to south and 2,500 kilometers east to west. It is also geologically and tectonically complex.

Tagsearthquake today, earthquake china 2016, 6.2 magnitude earthquake, tibet earthquake, himalayan earthquake, earthquake