Buildings collapse as magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits eastern China

An earthquake in eastern China before dawn knocked down houses and injured at least 21 people, according to state media, but no deaths have been reported.

The magnitude 5.5 quake occurred on Sunday near the city of Dezhou, about 300 kilometres south of Beijing, the Chinese capital, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.4.

The quake caused 126 homes to collapse and 21 people were injured, government broadcaster China Central Television and other news outlets reported.

TV broadcasters showed Dezhou residents who ran outdoors after the quake sitting on sidewalks in the predawn darkness. Video on social media showed bricks that had fallen from cracked walls.

Train lines were being inspected for possible damage, the official China News Service said. CCTV said gas service was shut off in some areas due to damage to pipes.

Dezhou and the surrounding area administered by the city have about 5.6 million people, according to the city government website.

The quake was centered about 10 kilometres below the surface, according to the CENC.

"The closer to the surface the earthquake is, the stronger you are going to feel it," said Abreu Paris, a geophysicist at the US Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center.

Tremors were felt in parts of Beijing, but authorities said no damage from the earthquake was found in the capital.