About 400 people died and 10,000 others were injured after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit northwest China 's Qinghai Province early on April 14, according to local authorities.

Many others are still buried under the debris of collapsed houses near the epicentre, said a representative of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu.

Rescue efforts are facing difficulties due to downed communications. According to government officials, many people living in far-flung areas hit by the quake have been made homeless and will probably have to stay outside in the cold weather because of a severe lacks of tents, medicine, medical equipment and health workers.

China’s Xinhua news agency said around 700 soldiers are now struggling to clear away the rubble and rescue those still trapped. More than 5,000 additional rescuers, including soldiers and medical workers, have also been dispatched to the quake-hit region.

The 7.1-magnitude quake occurred at 7:49 am local time, with the epicentre 33 km underground. Earlier, at 5.39 am the same day, the area was rocked by another quake that measured 4.7 degrees on the Richter scale./.