BEIJING: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 struck a remote part of China on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but it was not clear if it had affected drainage operations at the "quake lake" in Tangjiashan.

The quake, which struck at 01:56 am (1756 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres, hit southern Qinghai province, which borders Sichuan province where an 8.0-magnitude tremor on May 12 left more than 69,000 people dead.

Monday's earthquake was 390 kilometres northeast of the Tibetan capital Lhasa and several hundred miles from Miangyang, which lies below the "quake lake". Xinhua state press said the quake area was about 5,000 metres above sea level and was sparsely populated.

The Tangjiashan lake formed as a result of the devastating May 12 earthquake, which triggered a huge landslide that blocked the Jianjiang river, creating a massive body of water. - AFP/de