RUICHANG, Jiangxi - A magnitude-4.6 earthquake briefly disrupted life in an eastern China region but no casualties or major destructions have been reported since the quake struck on late Saturday, local officials said Sunday.

Business and farming resumed in the town of Henglishan, Jiangxi Province, near the epicenter, by Sunday afternoon. Although cracks were found on the walls of several houses, no houses collapsed during the tremor that struck at 11:20 pm Saturday.

"We have checked and found little damage to the houses of the village's 487 households," said Nie Xunzhan, a top official of the village of Guanghui near Ruichang. "There are cracks on the walls but all houses remain safe to stay in."

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake's epicenter was traced at a depth of 17 km. Twenty-three aftershocks, with the largest measuring 2.8 degrees, were recorded within two hours after the major tremor.

The quake was felt in the provincial capital ofNanchang, about 130 km southeast to the city of Ruichang.

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