BEIJING—An earthquake in eastern China before dawn Sunday knocked down houses and injured at least 24 people, according to state media.
The magnitude 5.5 quake occurred near the city of Dezhou, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) south of the Chinese capital Beijing at 2:33 a.m., according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.4.
The quake caused 126 homes to collapse and 24 people were injured, state broadcaster China Central Television and other news outlets reported.
According to official reports, no deaths have been reported.
The actual number of casualties from such events may be much higher. The actual number of casualties is difficult to verify, as the Chinese regime routinely suppresses or alters information.
TV broadcasters showed Dezhou residents who ran outdoors after the quake sitting on sidewalks in the predawn darkness. Video on social media showed bricks that had fallen from cracked walls.
Train lines were being inspected for possible damage, the official China News Service said. CCTV said gas service was shut off in some areas due to damage to pipes.
Dezhou and the surrounding area administered by the city have about 5.6 million people, according to the city government website.
The quake was centered about 10 kilometers (six miles) below the surface, according to the CENC.
“The closer to the surface the earthquake is, the stronger you are going to feel it,” said Abreu Paris, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center.
Tremors were felt in parts of Beijing, but authorities said no damage from the earthquake was found in the capital.
Beijing and its surrounding Hebei province have also been dealing with another disaster after heavy rains from typhoon Doksuri triggered flash floods and landslides, made worse by forced diversion of floodwaters to protect the capital.
