BEIJING, CHINA - A 5.2-MAGNITUDE earthquake hit southwest China early Friday, the US Geological Survey said, striking the area devastated by a massive quake in May.

The quake struck 60 kilometres west of Mianyang in Sichuan province and 110 kilometres north of Chengdu, the provincial capital, at 12.40am, the USGS said. It hit at a depth of 16.7 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.

The May 12 quake, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale, devastated wide swathes of Sichuan province, leaving nearly 70,000 people dead and more than 17,000 missing. -- AFP