The China Earthquake Administration has initiated an emergency-response plan against the quake which hit a juncture region of two counties in Northwest China's Gansu Province Monday morning.

The emergency plan includes close monitoring of the quake and sending disaster-relief teams to affected areas, the administration said.

A 6.6-magnitude quake jolted the junction of the Minxian county and Zhangxian county at at 7:45 am Beijing Time.

The epicenter, with a depth of 20 kilometers, is 170 kilometers away from the provincial capital Lanzhou, according to the administration.

A 5.6-magnitude quake jolted the same area later at 9:12 am.

At least three people were killed in the quake, according to local authorities.