7 killed in strong earthquake in China

The earthquake was also felt in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, and the cities of Xi'an and Changsha, several hundred kilometers away.

At least 7 people died in a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province.

The country's state-owned television CCTV reported the news on Monday.

Reuters reports that this is the strongest earthquake in Sichuan since 2017.

The earthquake was also felt in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, and the cities of Xi'an and Changsha, several hundred kilometers away. Media reports have reported some damage.


The China Earthquake Network Center said the quake originated at a depth of 16 km below the surface of the city of Luding and was also felt in Chengdu, a city of 21 million people, 226 km to the southwest.

Shirley Lee, a resident of the 30th floor of an apartment block in Changdu, which is now under lockdown due to Covid-19 after the summer blaze, said, “The shaking was quite strong and lasted for a while. We are going through tough times - fires, covid lockdowns and now earthquakes."

Minutes after the first earthquake, a 4.2-magnitude aftershock hit the city of Yan, about 100 kilometers from Chengdu.

Earthquakes are a common occurrence in southwestern Sichuan province, especially in the western mountainous region. This area on the eastern border of the Shanghai-Tibetan Plateau is a tectonically active area.