[Scarlett.]

A strong earthquake has struck the western Chinese region of Sichuan.

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). It is not clear if there have been casualties.

The area is prone to tremors. An 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, 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.

BBC News

[Mrluvaluva]

Reports stating 100 dead or injured.

Source: Sky

[Mrluvaluva]

According to the BBC:

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

It said only two people had been confirmed dead, but other state media suggested the toll could be far higher.

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

[Benjamin]

A powerful earthquake has killed at least 46 people and injured at least 400 in China's south-western province of Sichuan, state TV reports.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which had a 6.6 magnitude, was centred 50km (31 miles) west of the town of Linqiong.

It said the tremor occurred at a depth of 12km (7.4 miles). There are fears the death toll could rise further.

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 (00:02 GMT), the USGS said.

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

People ran into the streets wrapped in blankets, according to photos posted online. Other pictures showed buildings that had collapsed.

A resident in Chengdu told Xinhua he had been on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

Electrical and water supplies have reportedly been cut to the affected area, the BBC's Martin Patience reports from Beijing.

Telephone lines are also believed to be down.

Xinhua said 2,000 soldiers had been despatched to the area to help with rescue efforts.

The city of Ya'an, close to the epicentre, has a population of 1.5 million.

The USGS noted that "significant" casualties were likely and that "extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread".

"Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response," it added.

The 2008 disaster in Sichuan left five million people homeless.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22228225


This is the 3rd big earthquake in a week.

[Mrluvaluva]

Latest from Sky:

"At least 102 people are believed to have been killed and more than 2,200 injured after an earthquake struck China's south-western province of Sichuan.

Chinese news agency Xinhua said the quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, struck at 8.02am local time close to the city of Ya'an in Lushan county and the epicentre had a depth of a little less than eight miles (13km).

It started landslides, destroyed buildings, and triggered a major rescue operation involving emergency services and more than 2,000 troops."

[billy123]

102 deaths is a horriffic toll RIP and i hope it doesnt rise too much more.

[Z]

:/ there have been an awful lot of natural disasters recently, kind of worrying

[Jake.]

Originally Posted by Zee

:/ there have been an awful lot of natural disasters recently, kind of worrying

yeah, this past week or so has been horrific