This is the heartwarming moment brave nurses tightly hug two babies during an earthquake, shielding them from falling debris with their own bodies.

Dramatic CCTV footage shows how heroic medical practitioners embraced the children when a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck Yinchuan, Ningxia, China, on January 2. The earthquake's epicentre was just 26 miles from the city.

One of the babies was in a hospital crib when the quake hit. The healthcare provider sitting across from it quickly picked up the infant, cradling and holding it close to her.

Other nurses are seen rushing into the room to check on the babies.

Local reports stated that the footage was filmed at Ningxia Medical University General Hospital and that the newborns were under the care of the health professionals while their mum was undergoing a postpartum rehabilitation program.

The earthquake was part of a series of two that hit Yinchuan a few hours apart. One was a 4.6-magnitude quake, followed by a 4.8-magnitude quake.

The 4.8-magnitude quake took place at 10:01 am, with the second one taking place at 4:43 pm.

There have been no reports of any casualties.

The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) said China accounts for one-third of the world's destructive continental earthquakes. Since 1900, more than 550,000 people have died in earthquakes in China, which is 53 per cent of the total casualties in earthquakes worldwide.