BEIJING >> China’s state media say a magnitude-5.3 earthquake has sent rocks crashing down onto a road in the country’s northwest and caused car crashes that left five injured.

The official Xinhua News Agency and U.S. Geological Survey say the quake struck Wednesday morning in the sprawling Xinjiang region’s Toksun county, about 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers) west of Beijing.

Xinhua says a driver who braked hard to avoid rocks crashing down in front of him in the neighboring Dabancheng district caused a 17-car pileup, leading to the injuries, including two that were serious.

It says railway service on two critical lines was suspended for two hours for safety checks and students taking the national college entrance exam were evacuated from exam halls.