4.5 magnitude quake jolts China's Yunnan Province

BEIJING: A 4.5 magnitude earthquake has jolted southwest China's Yunnan Province and damaged several houses.

The earthquake struck Songming County in Kunming City at 5:59 pm (local time) last evening. No casualties have been reported.

The epicenter was initially measured at a depth of 12 km, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

Several houses were damaged but no casualties were reported, according to the county government.

The earthquake also delayed several trains passing through the Kunming area, the city's railway bureau was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Operation of stations and railway lines near the epicenter was suspended for safety checks.