"Big cracks were found in the wall of the houses after the earthquake. They will need to be rebuilt or reinforced," said Gao Shengfu, Communist Party chief of the Huangcheng township, where most of the damage occurred.
The tremor hit at 4:32 p.m. local time, also knocking out power to thousands of households and businesses.
The official Xinhua news agency reports that Huangcheng township boasts rich coal resources, and local authorities have ordered the mines to suspend production and conduct inspections for damage.
