Rescue efforts are continuing in China after an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck a rural area some 200 kilometres north-west of Beijing. Officials now say at least 47 people have died, with 250 seriously injured and tens of thousands of people made homeless. Many are reported to be spending the night outdoors, in temperatures as low as -20 C. Duncan Hewitt reports from Beijing:

Darkness and freezing temperatures have hampered the rescue work, but local authorities are continuing to search for survivors in the ruins of collapsed buildings.

The earthquake struck shortly before midday local time, in two mainly rural counties close to the Great Wall, north-west of Beijing.

The tremors were felt as far away as the capital, and in Shangyi county, close to the epicentre, at least a thousand buildings were reported destroyed, with an estimated 10,000 citizens forced to seek makeshift shelter overnight.

In nearby Zhangbei, 90% percent of buildings were destroyed or damaged, leaving more than 20,000 families homeless, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Earthquake specialists are at the scene and China's President, Jiang Zemin, and Prime Minister, Li Peng, have telephoned local officials to express their concern.

Experts are predicting aftershocks of up to four on the Richter scale, but they say Beijing will not be affected.

State radio reported that northern China is considered to be a high risk zone this year and officials have predicted for some time that the region could be hit by a quake of up to seven on the Richter scale.