The Shanxi provincial earthquake administration Sunday morning denied rumours that an earthquake will strike the province on its official website.

The rumours that a destructive earthquake will strike the province are groundless and only the provincial government has the right to release earthquake forecast, the administration said in an online statement on Sunday.

The administration is to hold a press conference on Sunday afternoon to further address the panic caused by the earthquake rumours, China Daily has learned.

Tens of thousands of residents in Taiyuan, Jinzhong, Changzhi and Jincheng which have been rumored to be hit by a 6.0 earthquake fled to safe places like streets and parks for security at about 3 am Sunday.

In some villages, villagers are waken up by loudspeakers to go to the open places to avoid damages caused by earthquake and many moved household appliances out to decrease economic losses, local media said on Sunday.