FREEZING TEMPERATURES
Power and water supplies were disrupted in some local villages, Xinhua said.
CCTV showed images of emergency vehicles driving towards the scene with their lights flashing along snow-lined highways.
Rescue workers dressed in overalls were pictured shoulder-to-shoulder in the trucks, while other images showed them lining up in ranks to receive instructions.
Other clips showed emergency personnel going through debris by torchlight, unfolding orange stretchers for the casualties.
Temperatures have plunged to well below freezing across northern China, and footage from one of the worst-hit areas on CCTV showed residents warming themselves by a fire while emergency services set up tents.
Fallen ceilings and other debris could be seen in videos posted on social media.
The earthquake struck at a depth of 10km at 11.59pm local time on Monday (1559 GMT), according to the USGS, which revised the magnitude downward after initially reporting 6.0.
Officials launched an emergency response and dispatched rescue personnel to the area just after the quake and provincial leaders were also en route, Xinhua reported.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in China. In August, a shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern China, injuring 23 people and collapsing dozens of buildings.
In September 2022, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit Sichuan province leaving almost 100 dead.
A 7.9-magnitude quake in 2008 left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 school pupils.
Source: CNA
