China Earthquake | Dozens Killed, Thousands Injured, April 20, 2013

Hundreds dead and thousands injured in China earthquake 6.6 - 7.0



An earthquake strikes Sichuan province leaving dozens of people dead and hundreds injured, Chinese media says.


More than 100 people have died and thousands injured after an earthquake struck China's southwestern province of Sichuan, Chinese media says.

The quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, hit at 8.02am local time close to the city of Ya'an in Lushan county and the epicentre had a depth of 8 miles (13km), Xinhua reported.



It set off landslides, destroyed buildings and has triggered a major rescue operation involving 2,000 troops.

The quake was felt strongly by residents in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital city of Chengdu, causing many to rush outside, according to accounts on China's Weibo microblogging service.

A resident in Chengdu said he was 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.

The quake struck close to where a massive tremor occured in 2008, killing 68,000 people.

China earthquake aftermath: Many dead, thousands injured & homeless