Approximately 1,300 people have been evacuated from 445 homes left uninhabitable by a 'moderate' earthquake on Friday in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In total around 12,000 people were affected by the quake, which damaged 5,586 homes including 1,343 seriously in Bairin Right Banner, according to local government sources on Sunday.

Early reports had put the number of people evacuated at 130.

The quake, measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale struck the county-level area at 2:21 PM Friday, and caused estimated losses of 2.3 million yuan (US$291,139).

The national earthquake observation network located the epicenter at 43.5 degrees north and 119.8 degrees east.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)