(Image source from: China quakes again)

A shallow quake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, jolted rural part of western China today morning, killing 20  and leaving over 300 gravely injured.

The earthquake hit the city of Dingxi in Gansu province, one of China's most sparsely populated provinces, with a population of around 2.7 million.

Counties of Zhang and Min were the worst affected with much of the casualties and death  reported in Min County and other rural southern parts of the municipality. Hundreds of homes were dinged and telephone and electricity services were completely conked out.

Mild quiver was experienced in the provincial capital of Lanzhou 110 miles north, and Xi'an, 250 miles to the east.

"You could see the chandeliers wobble and the windows vibrating and making noise, but there aren't any cracks in the walls. Shop assistants all poured out onto the streets when the shaking began," said an anonymous front desk clerk at the Wuyang Hotel in the Zhang County.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the magnitude of the initial quake as 5.9 and the depth at 6 miles.

AW: Suchorita Dutta