An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale jolted Qingchuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:53 AM on Wednesday, the National Seismic Network reported.

The epicenter of the earthquake was monitored at 32.6 degrees north latitude and 105.4 east longitude, around 15 kilometers below sea level, China Earthquake Administration said on its website.

No casualties have been reported as yet.

Qingchuan County, with a population of 250,000, is in the north of Sichuan Province and borders the northwest China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

Sichuan Province has suffered constant tremors and aftershocks after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake of May 12.

(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2008)