After a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Haixi Prefecture in Northwest China's Qinghai Province at 5:06 pm on Tuesday, seven additional tremors were recorded within the following 40 minutes, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). Local authorities have dispatched seismic response personnel to the site to carry out emergency operations.

The CENC said that the first earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers, and the epicenter was monitored at 37.80 degrees north latitude and 95.56 degrees east longitude.

As of 6:40 pm on Tuesday, the magnitude-6.3 earthquake has left one dead and four injured, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

All operating staff at coal mine enterprises near the epicenter have been fully evacuated. Inspections are underway to tally further casualties and property damage.

The epicenter of the earthquake lies 567 kilometers away from Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, the China News Agency reported.

A total of eight consecutive earthquakes rattled the Haixi Prefecture by 5:45 pm on Tuesday, the China News Agency reported, citing data released by the CENC.

In addition to the initial 6.3-magnitude main shock, the region experienced seven subsequent quakes, the smallest registering a magnitude of 3.0 and the strongest reaching 4.9, all at a focal depth of 10 kilometers, according to CENC.

The Qinghai provincial earthquake administration has dispatched an on-site emergency response task force consisting of 10 staff members aboard two vehicles to the quake-hit zone to carry out comprehensive seismic emergency response operations, according to the China News Agency.