The number of injured people climbed to 52 and 48,000 people had been evacuated after the earthquake hit a mountainous area along the border of Hejing and Xinyuan counties yesterday.
The region also witnessed several aftershocks of three to four magnitude, authorities said.
The quakes also tore down 7,500 houses and damaged another 64,000 houses, state-run Xinhua reported.
China's National Disaster Reduction Committee and the Ministry of Civil Affairs dispatched relief goods to quake-hit areas, including 2,000 tents, 10,000 quilts and 10,000 cotton coats.
Officials said more than 1.55 lakh people had been affected by the quake that shook the western Chin province.
The county's government had organised 2,470 people to the disaster relief work and had been trying to repair the damaged main roads.
Experts said the quake-hit region, located about 3,500 meters above sea level, has been geologically active throughout history.
Two earthquakes measuring higher than 7 on the Richter scale have jolted the region since 1900.
