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Hundreds die in west China quake Hundreds die in west China quake
(10 minutes later)
About 300 people have died and others are trapped under rubble in Qinghai province after an earthquake said to be magnitude 6.9, say Chinese media. At least 300 people have died and others are trapped under rubble after a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck China's Qinghai province, officials say.
The quake struck at 0749 (2349 GMT) 380km (240 miles) south-south-east of the city of Golmud, at a depth of 10km, according to US Geological Survey data. The powerful tremor hit remote Yushu county, 500km south-west of provincial capital Xining, at 0749 (2349 GMT).
It appears that at least some of the deaths occurred in Qinghai's ethnic Tibetan Yushu county. Chinese TV showed wrecked buildings and people scrabbling through debris, as the government began a rescue misssion.
The quake was followed by two tremors measuring 5.3 and 5.2. Yushu is hundreds of miles from an airport, and it is thought rescue crews may take time to reach the quake zone.
"Soldiers have been dispatched to save the people buried in the collapsed houses," local official Huang Limin was quoted as saying by China's state news agency Xinhua."Soldiers have been dispatched to save the people buried in the collapsed houses," local official Huang Limin was quoted as saying by China's state news agency Xinhua.
But the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing says rescue efforts are likely to be hampered by the remoteness of the region which lacks a nearby airport. A Yushu resident told Reuters news agency rescuers were trying to pull survivors from buildings.
"Certainly there have been people hurt," one resident told Reuters news agency. "A lot of one-storey houses have collapsed. Taller buildings have held up, but there are big cracks in them," he said.
"Rescuers are trying to pull them out. A lot of one-storey houses have collapsed. Taller buildings have held up, but there are big cracks in them." One official told journalists more than 85% of buildings near the epicentre had collapsed.
People from the Yushu prefecture highway department were frantically trying to dig out colleagues trapped in a collapsed building, department official Ji Guodong told Reuters by telephone.
More than 85% of buildings near the epicentre have collapsed, AFP news agency quoted a local official named as Zhuohuaxia as saying.
The official added that "a lot of students" had been buried after part of a vocational school collapsed.The official added that "a lot of students" had been buried after part of a vocational school collapsed.
Many of the buildings in Yushu were though to be made from wood.
Quake-prone regionQuake-prone region
Karsum Nyima, the Yushu county television station's deputy head of news, told Chinese CCTV that school students had been assembled in outside playgrounds, although school buildings had not collapsed. Karsum Nyima, the Yushu county television station's deputy head of news, told China's state-run CCTV that school students had been assembled in outside playgrounds, although school buildings had not collapsed.
ANALYSIS Michael Bristow, BBC News, BeijingANALYSIS Michael Bristow, BBC News, Beijing
The earthquake struck just before 0800 local time - when many people were still at home. It was followed by three aftershocks.The earthquake struck just before 0800 local time - when many people were still at home. It was followed by three aftershocks.
Some media reports say most buildings in the town near the epicentre fell down. Grainy pictures on Chinese television showed rescuers pulling at the rubble of one collapsed structure. Soldiers have been sent to the area to help with the rescue.Some media reports say most buildings in the town near the epicentre fell down. Grainy pictures on Chinese television showed rescuers pulling at the rubble of one collapsed structure. Soldiers have been sent to the area to help with the rescue.
The earthquake happened in a remote and sparsely populated area on the Tibetan plateau. The area is regularly hit by earthquakes.The earthquake happened in a remote and sparsely populated area on the Tibetan plateau. The area is regularly hit by earthquakes.
"In a flash, the houses went down. It was a terrible earthquake. In a small park, there is a Buddhist tower and the top of the tower fell off. "In a flash, the houses went down. It was a terrible earthquake. In a small park, there is a Buddhist tower and the top of the tower fell off," he said.
"Everybody is out on the streets, standing in front of their houses, trying to find their family members," he said. "Everybody is out on the streets, standing in front of their houses, trying to find their family members."
Zhuo De, an ethnic Tibetan resident of Yushu, who spoke by phone from the capital of Qinghai province, Xining, after contacting his family in Yushu, said dozens of people might have been hurt. Zhuo De, an ethnic Tibetan resident of Yushu, who spoke by phone from the capital of Qinghai province, Xining, said there could be many more casualties.
"The homes are built with thick walls and are strong, but if they collapsed they could hurt many people inside," he said."The homes are built with thick walls and are strong, but if they collapsed they could hurt many people inside," he said.
AFP notes that the remote high-altitude region is prone to earthquakes. The remote high-altitude region is prone to earthquakes, but officials from the US Geological Survey said this was the strongest quake the area had seen since 1976.
The region, which is home to ethnic Mongolians and Tibetan farmers and herdsmen, is dotted with coal, tin, lead and copper mines, it adds. The region, which is home to ethnic Mongolians and Tibetan farmers and herdsmen, is dotted with coal, tin, lead and copper mines.
China's Sichuan province suffered a huge earthquake disaster in 2008 - thousands of schoolchildren were among the 87,000 people killed or missing after the massive 12 May earthquake. China's Sichuan province, which neighbours Qinghai, suffered a huge earthquake in 2008, when thousands of schoolchildren were among the 87,000 people killed or missing.
Five million people also lost their homes, and officials estimate rebuilding work will take at least three years. Five million people also lost their homes, and officials estimated rebuilding work would take at least three years.
The government later punished people who had compiled lists of the victims and had suggested shoddy school building construction was partly to blame for the high toll. The government later punished people who had compiled lists of the victims and had suggested shoddy school-building was partly to blame for the high death toll.
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