No casualties have been reported as of 6 a.m. Friday after two earthquakes above 5.0-magnitude hit southwest China"s Sichuan Province, according to the provincial emergency response department.
A 5.8-magnitude quake first struck the Maerkang City of Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture at 00:03 a.m. Friday (Beijing Time), followed by a 6.0-magnitude quake at 1:28 a.m., according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
Disaster relief operations are under way in an orderly manner, the provincial department said.
The province has activated a level-III emergency response for the earthquake. More than 750 people from the fire department have been dispatched to the epicenter.
Meanwhile, a level-IV national emergency response has also been activated.
