An earthquake measuring 5.6-magnitude hit Sichuan province in the small hours of Thursday.

According to Xinhua News Agency, no casualties have been reported.

The quake occurred at 3.49am, with its epicentre at the Luding County of the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, said the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

Luding County is about 230 kilometres west of Chengdu.

About 100 rescuers have been sent to the area. Local firefighters told Xinhua that traffic was hampered by landslides at some sections of the road.

Seismologists believed that the tremor was an aftershock of a 6.8-magnitude quake that rocked Luding County last September, which killed more than 90 people.