An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 27, 2025 shows tents at Majiaqu Village of Wenfeng Town in Longxi County, Dingxi City, northwest China's Gansu province. [Photo/Xinhua]

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Longxi County in Dingxi City in northwest China's Gansu province at 5:49 a.m. Saturday, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said.

The epicenter was monitored at 34.91 degrees north latitude and 104.58 degrees east longitude. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km, the CENC said.

The quake was strongly felt in Longxi County, Zhangxian County, Weiyuan County and Lintao County in Dingxi City and Wushan County in Tianshui City.

The quake had left nine people injured, 4,328 houses damaged, and 7,812 people relocated as of midday Saturday in Longxi and Zhangxian counties of Dingxi City, according to the quake relief command center of Dingxi.

On the way to Hualin Village in Wenfeng Township, Longxi County, a region that was relatively heavily impacted, some sections of the road were scattered with fallen debris and rocks, but traffic was still flowing. Rescue workers, including firefighters and police officers, could be seen directing traffic and conducting risk assessments.

As the earthquake struck, Gao Shuanglai from Hualin Village had just climbed out of bed. Feeling the tremors, he hurriedly dashed outside. Once the shaking subsided, he inspected his home and discovered that the main structure was mostly intact, but there were several cracks in the courtyard wall.

"Rescue workers arrived in the village around 7:30 in the morning," said Tang Junxi, another resident of Hualin Village. After the earthquake, he noticed a few minor cracks in his house, and part of the courtyard wall had collapsed. His family is currently taking shelter in a public venue in the village, while rescue workers have assisted in clearing the rubble from his yard.

According to Ma Hongbin, the director of the orthopedics department at the No.2 People's Hospital of Longxi, the facility has admitted six patients injured in the quake, five of whom have been hospitalized for further treatment, and all are in stable condition.

Following the quake, the China Earthquake Administration launched a level-III emergency service response, urging strengthened monitoring and assessment of the situation, as well as timely updates.

The office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management also initiated a level-IV emergency response for earthquakes and sent a work team to the quake-hit areas to support local quake-relief efforts.

Rescuers from China's national comprehensive fire and rescue teams have arrived at the epicenter, according to the emergency management ministry. Meanwhile, rescuers and vehicles from the local fire and rescue forces, and personnel of specialized rescue teams have also joined the efforts.