5.1-magnitude earthquake hits central China (3)

YICHANG, Hubei, Dec. 16 -- A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted a county in central China's Hubei Province Monday afternoon, but has had little impact on the nearby Three Gorges Dam so far, local authorities said.

The quake hit Badong County in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture at 1:04 p.m., according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter, with a depth of 5 km, was located at 31.1 degrees north latitude and 110.4 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement.

The Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project, which is located more than 100 km from the epicenter, remained intact and was operating normally after the earthquake, said Hu Xing'e, vice head of the management bureau of the project with the China Three Gorges Corporation.

No casualties had been reported as of Monday afternoon, but the quake has left homes toppled or cracked and triggered landslides in the county, according to sources with the provincial land and resources department.

Rescuers and firefighters are rushing to the quake-hit region. Further verification of the earthquake's impact is under way.