BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- A 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolted Gongxian County, Yibin City in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 08:48 Thursday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter was monitored at about 28.20 degrees north latitude and 104.86 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 15 km, the center said in a statement.