A pair of militia members prepare to fly drones during a test in Shanghai, China, April 21, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

China's air force dispatched a drone to the site of an earthquake in the far western region of Xinjiang on Friday to help in monitoring work, in what it said was the first time it had used an unmanned aircraft for such a task.

China is developing an ambitious drone program for use at home, and also for export, as part of modernization efforts for its armed forces.

The air force said in a statement on the Defense Ministry's website that the single drone was dispatched to the southern part of Xinjiang shortly after the quake struck and it "got a timely understanding of disaster relief needs".

It flew for 100 minutes over the quake zone, sending back accurate "scientific facts" about the situation on the ground.

The ministry gave no other details.

The quake hit a remote and mostly rural region, killing at least six people.