A strong earthquake that hit Sichuan province in southern China late Monday night killed 11 people and injured 122, the local government said.

The Yibin city government posted the casualty toll on its social media accounts Tuesday morning. Xinhua news agency said rescue efforts were underway in the stricken area.

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The magnitude 6.0 earthquake collapsed a hotel in Changning county and damaged some roads, Xinhua said. Heavy rains were falling Tuesday morning.

The Ministry of Emergency Management sent firefighting crews and other rescue personnel, Xinhua said. The ministry and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration have dispatched 5,000 tents, 10,000 folding beds and 20,000 quilts to the quake-hit areas.

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The epicenter was 16 kilometres below the surface, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage to buildings and infrastructure.

China’s worst earthquake in recent years struck the mountainous western portion of Sichuan province in 2008, killing nearly 90,000 people. That earthquake was about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Monday’s quake.

A 1976 earthquake centred in the northeastern city of Tangshan killed at least 250,000 people. </s> A powerful earthquake hit China's southwestern Sichuan province on late Tuesday (8 August) leaving at least 13 people dead and injuring nearly 200 others. Several people are also reported missing.

The magnitude seven earthquake's epicentre was near Jiuzhaigou National Park, a popular tourist destination in the country. The China Earthquake Administration has warned of aftershocks that can reach magnitude six.

The earthquake hit Jiuzhaigou county at 9.19pm local time on Tuesday (2.19pm BST), striking at a depth of 20km, Xinhua news agency quoted the China Earthquake Networks Center as saying. The news agency reported that at least five of those dead in the earthquake were tourists to the national park.

The government of Aba prefecture, where the park is located, reportedly said there were nearly 38,799 visitors at the park at the time of the quake. Of these, more than 31,000 tourists were moved to safe places. The park has temporarily been closed for tourists.

Hong Kong's immigration department has confirmed that three of their nationals are missing following the quake, the South China Morning Post wrote.

Rescue and relief work is underway in the sparsely populated area, which witnessed nearly two dozen deaths over the weekend due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall.

The China Earthquake Administration said that nearly 107 aftershocks were detected as of 10.30pm Tuesday and more could be felt in the coming days.

Sichuan is an earthquake-prone region and an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the region in May 2008 had killed more than 80,000 people. In 2013, another 7.0-magnitude quake hit Lushan, killing 196. </s> BEIJING (AP) — A strong earthquake hit Sichuan province in southern China late Monday night and some people were injured, officials and news reports said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 5.9 and hit about 19 kilometers (12 miles) from the city of Changning in Sichuan. It was centered at a fairly shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), it said. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage to buildings and infrastructure.

The USGS warned there could casualties and significant damage.

The Beijing Youth Daily said some people had been injured, but that could not be immediately confirmed. The emergency management ministry said firefighters have been sent to the area as rescuers.

A 1976 earthquake centered in the northeastern city of Tangshan killed at least 250,000 people. China’s worst earthquake in recent years struck the mountainous western portion of Sichuan province in 2008, killing nearly 90,000 people. That earthquake was about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Monday’s quake. </s> A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of China's southwestern province of Sichuan, killing 19 people, including eight tourists, and injuring more than 245 people, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.

Jiuzhaigou is a nature reserve and national park located in the north of Sichuan province, China. Jiuzhaigou Valley was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997

The Sichuan government said 100 tourists had been trapped by a landslide following Tuesday's quake. Six tourists were among those killed, according to the official China News Service.

The state-run Xinhua news agency said as many as 31,500 tourists has been already evacuated from the earthquake hit zone.

For more videos, click here. </s> BEIJING: An earthquake measuring 6.5 in magnitude struck China's remote and mountainous southwestern province of Sichuan on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake struck in a sparsely populated area 200 km (120 miles) west-northwest of the city of Guangyuan at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), the USGS said. It had earlier put the quake at magnitude 6.6 and 32 km deep.

The Sichuan earthquake administration said the epicentre of the tremor was in Ngawa prefecture, largely populated by ethnic Tibetans, many of whom are nomadic herders, but also close to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a popular tourist destination.

The area is frequently struck by earthquakes.

Pictures on state media-run social media sites showed some minor damage in Jiuzhaigou, with tiles having fallen from buildings and people gathering outdoors, but no major damage.

State television cited a resident in a village near Jiuzhaigou as saying no buildings had collapsed, but that there had been strong shaking and people had fled outdoors.

Shaking was felt in the provincial capital Chengdu and as far away as Xian, home of the Terracotta Warriors, according to users of Chinese social media.

A quake in Sichuan in May 2008 killed almost 70,000 people. </s> An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 hit China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Tuesday evening, the United State’s Geological Survey said. The China Earthquake Network Center, however, recorded quake of magnitude 7.0. There were no immediate reports of damage.

The temblor first struck in a sparsely populated area about 200 km from Guangyuan city. The epicentre was at a depth of 10 km in the Ngawa prefecture, the local administration said.

Earthquakes are common in the mountainous Sichuan province. In 2008, nearly 70,000 people were killed in a massive quake. </s> An earthquake has killed at least five people and injured more than 60 in China's south-western province of Sichuan, officials say.

The 6.5-magnitude quake struck in the sparsely-populated north of Sichuan, the US Geological Survey said.

Some reports suggest the death toll could be much higher. The epicentre was close to an area popular with tourists.

Sichuan province is prone to earthquakes. More than 70,000 people were killed in a quake in 2008.

The quake struck at around 21:20 (13:20 GMT) some 300km (180 miles) north of the provincial capital Chengdu, and was 10km deep.

Photos showed damage to buildings, including a hotel, in Jiuzhaigou, home to one of China's most famous nature reserves and a Unesco World Heritage site.

A restaurant owner in the town said this quake felt stronger than the 2008 tremor, though there is no suggestion yet that the death toll could reach anywhere near the levels caused by that disaster.

Tang Sesheng told the AFP news agency that many people had fled buildings in Jiuzhaigou county - which includes a national park - and were taking refuge in the main square.

"People didn't dare grab anything like money or clothes - we just all ran outside right away," she said.

Gwendolyn Pang of the Red Cross Society of China said it would take time to learn the extent of the damage and number of casualties.

"Communications lines and electricity are disrupted and people are no doubt shocked and scared," she said.

China's National Commission for Disaster Reduction, quoted by AFP news agency, said as many as 100 people may have been killed and 130,000 homes damaged.

Some reports in the Chinese media said tourists were among the dead and injured.

President Xi Jinping called for "all-out efforts to rapidly organise relief work and rescue the injured people", state news agency Xinhua reports, and fire officers and soldiers were being deployed from nearby areas.

Shaking was felt in Chengdu and in Xian, home to the Terracotta Warriors, some 700km (430 miles) away. </s> BEIJING: A 7.0-magnitude earthquake tonight rattled Jiuzhaigou County in China's southwestern Sichuan Province , the China Earthquake Networks Center said.There was no immediate report of any damage or casualties.Citing a statement issued by the center, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the quake occurred around 9.19 PM (local time) and struck at a depth of 20-km. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rescue workers are digging through debris to try and find survivors

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 19 people and injured 247 in China's south-western province of Sichuan.

Six tourists are thought to be among the dead, with up to 45,000 people evacuated from the area.

A separate 6.6-magnitude tremor struck the remote area of XinJiang, injuring 32 people.

More than 87,000 people were killed in an earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008.

The quake struck at about 21:20 (13:20 GMT) on Tuesday about 300km (180 miles) north of the provincial capital Chengdu, and was 10km deep.

China's Earthquake Administration (CEA) said more than 1,000 aftershocks had been detected, with the most powerful reaching 4.8 magnitude on Wednesday.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption More than 1,250 soldiers have been deployed to the area to help local rescue efforts

Photos showed damage to buildings including a hotel in Jiuzhaigou, home to one of China's most famous nature reserves and a Unesco World Heritage site.

Many tourists visiting the area remained outside overnight while waiting for evacuation on Wednesday.

A restaurant owner in the town said this quake felt stronger than the 7.9 tremor in 2008, though there is no suggestion that the death toll could reach anywhere near the levels caused by that disaster.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Passengers were left stranded at Jiuzhaigou airport on Wednesday

Tang Sesheng told the AFP news agency that many people were taking refuge in the main square.

"People didn't dare grab anything like money or clothes - we just all ran outside right away," she said.

'Shocked and scared'

President Xi Jinping called for "all-out efforts to rapidly organise relief work and rescue the injured people", state news agency Xinhua reports, and fire officers and soldiers have been deployed from nearby areas.

Shaking was felt in Chengdu and in Xian, some 700km (430 miles) away.

Gwendolyn Pang of the Red Cross Society of China said it would take time to learn the extent of the damage and number of casualties.

"Communications lines and electricity are disrupted and people are no doubt shocked and scared," she said.

China's National Commission for Disaster Reduction, quoted by AFP, said as many as 100 people might have been killed and 130,000 homes damaged.

Emergency response operations have been activated by transport agencies and local airports to aid evacuations and allow rescue vehicles into the area.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes Sichuan in southwest China, killing at least thirteen people and injuring more than 175.