LANZHOU - When a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit Xiahe county in October, Tenmolon, a 50-year-old Tibetan farmer, quickly alerted sleeping villagers.

It was 1:56 am on Oct 28 when the quake hit Drada village in Xiahe, Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Gansu province.

Tenmolon ran to the village's public broadcasting room and shouted into a microphone in Tibetan, "Earthquake! Earthquake! Get out of your rooms!"