An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted Yingjiang County, Dehong Dai-Jinpo Autonomous Prefecture, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, at 8:24 p.m. on Thursday.

The power and telecommunication networks were cut off in the main districts of the county after the tremor, said Sha Zhengcheng, the county's deputy head. No casualties were reported so far.

The epicenter, about 10 km underground, was at 24.9 degrees north latitude and 97.8 degrees east longitude. It was about 45 km away from the county town, and 500 km away from the provincial capital Kunming, according to a National Earthquake Network press release.

A previous tremor, measuring 5.0, struck the county at 5:35 a.m. on Wednesday, with the epicenter monitored at Sudian Township, about 46 km from Yingjiang county seat.

More than 110 aftershocks under a 3.6 magnitude had been monitored as of 6 p.m. on Thursday.

The affected area has a population density of 45 persons per square km and is at an average altitude of 2,000 meters.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2008)