WESTERN XIZANG (BNO NEWS) — A strong and shallow earthquake struck western Xizang, also known as Tibet, on late Friday morning, officials said.

The earthquake struck at 11.12 a.m. local time (3.12 a.m. UTC), a spokeswoman for the United States Geological Survey told BNO News. It was initially reported as a 5.8 magnitude earthquake but was quickly downgraded to a magnitude 5.7.

The earthquake struck about four miles deep, making it an extremely shallow earthquake. Shallow earthquakes often cause more damage.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties or serious damage following the earthquake, but the spokeswoman said a few thousand people may have received strong shaking. There are no large cities near the epicenter, but there are some small villages in the area.

Further information was not immediately available.