5.5 Quake Magnitude Jolts China's Shandong Province

The quake that jolted Pingyuan County in Shandong Province at 2:33 am was also felt in several areas in northern China, including Beijing and Tianjin and the provinces of Henan and Hebei, according to the local media reports.

Pingyuan is about 345km south of Beijing. So far, a total of 21 people have been injured and 126 buildings in the earthquake zone collapsed, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

According to videos posted online, the quake shook furniture in homes and sent residents seeking refuge outside. More than 20 trains scheduled to depart from Beijing, Tianjin, and Cangzhou were halted.?

Some 30 trains by way of Shijiazhuang-Jinan High-speed Railway were also halted, according to China Railway Beijing Group Co, Ltd. Local authorities have launched an emergency response to organise rescue and assess possible risks.