Twenty-four people were injured after a magnitude-5.5 earthquake jolted the city of Dezhou in east China's Shandong Province at 2:33 a.m. on Sunday.
China's office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management have activated a Level-IV emergency response after the earthquake.
74 buildings in the epicenter collapsed. However, the transportation, communication and power supply remain normal, said the provincial bureau of emergency response, adding that no oil and gas pipeline leaks were discovered in the area.
An emergency and rescue team has been dispatched to Shandong Province to guide rescue and relief work.
(With input from Xinhua)