Communication services down after quakes

CHANGCHUN - Communication services are down in Songyuan city of Northeast China's Jilin province after two earthquakes jolted the area on Thursday morning.

A 5.5-magnitude quake hit the city at 11:03 am. The epicenter, with a depth of eight kilometers, was 44.6 degrees north latitude and 124.2 degrees east longitude, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.

A 5.0-magnitude quake with a depth of six kilometers jolted the same area at 11:10 am.

The epicenter is Dongbaiyinhua Village of Chaganhua Town, where telecommunications have been cut off, according to an officer from Qian Gorlos Mongol autonomous county.

The earthquakes were felt in most parts of Jilin province and some houses have been damaged. So far, there have been no reports of deaths, according to the officer.

Relief teams have been sent to the region.