China's northern regions were rattled by an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale that was felt all the way to the capital Beijing. At least two was killed and another 40 injured in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.??

A number of houses were found collapsed and China's Seismological Bureau Saturday night sent a rescue team of 30 experts to the quake-hit Inner Mongolia, Xinhua news agency reported.

The quake struck at 6:58 pm (1058 GMT) Saturday, Xinhua reported, citing the China Seismological Bureau.

The quake hit eastern Inner Mongolia and its epicenter was at latitude 43.9 degrees north and longitude 119.7 degrees east, the bureau said.

Rescue teams have been sent to the areas of Bairin Zuoqi and Ar Horqin Qi, Xinhua said.

"An obvious tremor was also felt in the capital city of Beijing," Xinhua said.

A quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale hit southwest China's Yunnan Province late last month, killing at least 16 people and injuring some 584 others.

The Red Cross said 700,000 people were seriously affected and were in desperate need of relief supplies.

(China Daily August 17, 2003)