Chinese authorities said at least 10 persons were hurt when a 5.3-magnitude earthquake rocked Yongshan County in China's southwestern province of Yunnan at 6:40 a.m. on Saturday (China time).

According to the China Earthquake Network Center, the quake's epicenter was registered some 13 kilometers deep in the township of Xiluodu. It awakened residents who rushed out of their houses when the earth started shaking.

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When the shaking ended, 10 persons were injured and at least 20 houses were damaged. Two roads in the county were also deemed impassable due to rock slides triggered by the quake.

The central government has ordered an immediate evacuation of residents and sent rescue personnel to search for possible missing persons and assist in clearing rubbles.

At least 400 tents and quilts have also been sent to the affected areas as temporary shelters for affected residents.

China's second largest hydropower station, the Xiluodu hydropower plant, is located in Yongshan. It was not immediately known if the plant suffered damage from the quake.

While the quake was clearly a natural occurrence, there were some who claimed that the ground movement in Yongshan was caused by the Xiluodu hydropower plant, which is located just 15 kilometers from the epicenter of Saturday's earthquake.

The Yunnan Disaster Prevention Research Institute immediately doused off the rumor by stressing that the power plant had nothing to do with the earthquake.

Experts, however, said a thorough study on the relationship between earthquakes and the hydropower projects in the area should be considered.

Earthquakes in Yunnan, however, are not new to long-time residents in the province. In 2012 alone, multiple quakes hit Yilang and Yunnan, resulting to the death of 81 people