Thirteen people were injured but no deaths were recorded after a 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook southwestern China’s Sichuan province in the early hours of Monday, according to local authorities. The tremor struck Gaoxian county in Yibin city at 00:12 Beijing time (16:12 GMT Sunday), with Chinese seismological agencies placing the epicentre at a depth of six kilometres.

All 13 injured sustained minor wounds and were transported to hospital for treatment, while 196 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters, relief headquarters in Yibin said. The China Earthquake Administration activated a Level III emergency response, and officials described public order as stable, with relief and damage-assessment operations proceeding in an organised manner.

Seismic measurements diverged in initial assessments. The China Earthquake Networks Centre recorded a magnitude of 5.5 and a depth of six kilometres, whereas the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported a magnitude of 5.2 and a depth of 10 kilometres. Such discrepancies are routine in the immediate aftermath of a quake, and no reports of major structural collapse have been confirmed.

Sichuan sits on the seismically volatile boundary where the Indian plate collides with the Eurasian plate, making it one of China’s most earthquake-prone regions. While Monday’s event caused limited harm, the province has endured catastrophic tremors in the past. Authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage, and the casualty toll remains provisional.