BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- No casualties or damage to property have been reported yet after a magnitude 5 earthquake hit northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Wednesday afternoon.

The quake struck Ruoqiang County, Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin, in Xinjiang, at a depth of 5 km, 4:14 p.m., China Earthquake Network Center said.

The epicenter, 182 kilometers away from the county seat of Ruoqiang, is sparsely populated, according to Wang Jian with the regional earthquake administration.