China earthquake: 'Hundreds dead or injured' in Sichuan

Hundreds of people may have been killed or injured after an earthquake in China's western Sichuan province, state media report.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which had a 6.6 magnitude, was centred 80km (50 miles) west of the town of Linqiong.

It said the tremor occurred at a depth of 12.3km (7.6 miles).

The area is prone to tremors. An 8.0 magnitude quake in Sichuan in May 2008 killed nearly 90,000 people.

The latest quake - initially reported as a 7.0 magnitude, and then at 6.9 - struck at 08:02 local time (01:02 BST), the USGS said.

It was felt 115km (71 miles) away in the provincial capital, Chengdu, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.

"The earthquake in Ya'an, Lushan, has injured or killed hundreds of people," the Sichuan earthquake bureau said.

Fonte: BBC
Informação: Telenoticias Mundial