Around 1,200 people were forced to evacuate their homes after a tremor measuring five on the Richter scale jolted western Yunnan Province, in southwest China, early on Wednesday.

The tremor struck at 5:35 a.m.in Yingjiang County, of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, with the epicenter monitored at 25.1 degrees north and 97.9 degrees east, according to the Provincial Earthquake Bureau.

Many homes collapsed in Sudian Township, the epicenter, about 46 km from Yingjiang county seat, and several townships in the vicinity reported damage, but there were no reports of casualties, said Sha Zhengcheng, chief of publicity with Yingjiang County Committee of the Communist Party of China.

After the earthquake, a working group led by E Tun, head of the county government, went to Sudian Township to supervise rescue efforts.

The authorities are still assessing the losses.??

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2008)