[2] China's Xinhua reports that up to seven aftershocks, measuring up to a magnitude of 4.7, followed the initial quake, which caused a total of 127,000 people to be evacuated to nearby shelters.

The epicenter was 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) from the center of the county, which has a population of more than 270,000 people and is home to several of China's ethnic minorities.

[5] The state news agency reports that an estimate of 1,200 houses and apartments collapsed and that around 17,500 were severely damaged.

[8] China Central Television showed damaged buildings with debris around as police officers directed traffic on a chaotic street.

[10] The Chinese media reported that 5,000 tents, 10,000 quilts and nearly 1,000 troops were being sent to the area to aid the rescue efforts.