A shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern China in the early hours of Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, with state media reporting at least 21 people injured and dozens of buildings collapsed.

The quake, which struck at 2:33 am (1833 GMT Saturday), hit 26 kilometres (16 miles) south of the city of Dezhou in Shandong province, at a depth of 10 kilometres, the USGS said.

It was the strongest to hit the province in more than a decade, state-run tabloid the Global Times said.

Dezhou city, in China’s eastern Shandong province, early on August 6, 2023, following a 5.4-magnitude earthquake that shook eastern China. (Photo by STR / AFP)

The quake was felt as far away as Beijing and Tianjin, as well as in Shanghai, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) from the epicentre.

Videos on social media showed shaking light fixtures, trembling ground and people evacuating their buildings, with one clip showing people walking past bricks scattered on the ground.