The epicentre was located at a depth of 9 km, the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said.
The epicentre was 120 km from the county seat of Qiemo.
A waiter at Yudu Hotel in the county said the ceiling lamp shook noticeably during the earthquake.
The local government has sent personnel to the affected areas to verify the situation, the state-run Xinhua report said.
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