XINING - No casualties have been reported after a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck northwest China's Qinghai Province on Thursday night.

A provincial earthquake administration task force arrived near the epicenter of the quake in Ulan County, at around 7 a.m. on Friday to investigate the damage, said Li Peng with the administration.

"Luckily, there are few people living in the area, but cracks were seen in some houses in two villages. My colleagues are evaluating the damage and teaching local people, mainly Tibetans, what to do during a quake," said Li.

The quake happened at 11:56 p.m. Thursday at a depth of 16 km. The epicenter was monitored at 36.4 degrees north and 97.8 degrees east, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

Ulan County is about 400 kilometers west of Xining, the provincial capital, with a population of some 36,500 people.