A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck northwest China on Friday, the US Geological Survey reported, but state media said there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 9:52 am (0152 GMT), was located 165 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of the city of Golmud in Qinghai province, the USGS said. The quake hit at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres.

A 5.6-magnitude aftershock hit the remote area about 20 minutes later, the USGS said.

The China Earthquake Administration registered the initial quake at 6.4.

The state Xinhua news agency cited local officials as saying no casualties had been reported.

In May last year, nearly 87,000 people were left dead or missing when an 8.0-magnitude earthquake shook southwest Sichuan province.

earlier related report
Moderate quake rattles New Zealand capital
A moderate 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck near the New Zealand capital Wellington early Friday but there were no reports of damage, authorities said.

The quake, which hit at 2:10 am (1410 GMT Thursday) was centred 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Wellington at a depth of 30 kilometres, government agency GNS Science said.

Police said they were inundated by calls from people wanting more information on the quake but had received no reports of damage.

GNS Science seismologist Ken Gledhill said the earthquake was felt in the Wellington region.

No tsunami alert was issued.

Earthquakes are frequent in New Zealand, where the boundaries of the Pacific and Australian continental plates meet on part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire."

A remote area in the country's southwest was struck last month by a major 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which caused no casualties and little damage.