CHENGDU, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Five people were injured as of 10 a.m. after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit Zizhong County in Neijiang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, at 8:14 a.m. Wednesday Beijing Time, local authorities said.

Teams of medical staff and firefighters have been dispatched to carry out rescue operations. All the injured have been sent to hospital.

An emergency response plan has been activated by the railway department, including speed limit and an overhaul of the operating system, which led to the delay of certain trains.

The epicenter was monitored at 29.59 degrees north latitude and 104.82 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 14 km.