At least 150 people were killed and about 1,300 others injured in an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in southwestern China.

At least 150 people were killed and about 1,300 others injured in an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in southwestern China.

United States Geological Survey, USGS, said the quake at 16:30 local time it hit the area about 7 km from the city Wenping, in Yunnan Province.

Massive rescue operation is underway.
State TV station, CCTV, said the quake was the largest in the province within 14 years.

The USGS said the epicenter was at a depth of 10km in a remote mountainous area in Yunnan province and the tremors felt in the neighboring provinces, Guizhou and Sichuan.

The Xinhua news agency said 12,000 houses collapsed in Ludian, districts have a population of around 439,000 inhabitants.

  Earthquake in China
Local residents tried to rescue victims trapped debris.
However, most of the casualties so far in the district of Zhaotong dilaporlan fall, the most severely hit by the earthquake.

A resident of Zhaotong, Ma Liya, told Xinhua that the situation on the spot as the new hit by bombing during the war.

Two-story house that neighbors also collapsed.
People were running out of the house so the earthquake struck, which also cut power supplies and communication links.

The government has sent 2,000 tents, 3,000 folding beds, 3,000 blankets, and 3,000 jackets to the disaster area.

Not the first time the massive earthquake struck southwestern China region Click: the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan killed thousands of people and in 1970 at least 15,000 people died due to an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter. BBC