Over 30 feared killed as magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes southwest China
Earthquake
A strong earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday (September 5), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
State media earlier reported that at least 21 people were killed, but Reuters said over 30 people had perished.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, initial surveys showed that a number of towns in Sichuan province had sustained "serious damage to housing due to mountain landslides" while telecommunication lines had been cut off in some areas.
USGS noted that a magnitude6.6 earthquake hit around 43 kilometres southeast of the city of Kangding in Sichuan province at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Residents in the nearby provincial capital Chengdu and the megacity of Chongqing told news agency AFP that tremors were felt.
A Chengdu resident surnamed Chen said, "I felt it quite strongly. Some of my neighbours on the ground floor said they felt it very clearly."
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On the other hand, a resident of Chongqing said the quake was "pretty noticeable" and further noted the lights and furniture in his apartment shake.
Chengdu is a city of about 21 million people. The city has faced several crises of late as on Sunday, it extended a lockdown imposed to curb a Covid outbreak.
Chengdu region has also suffered a summer of extreme weather, with a record-breaking heat wave noticeably drying rivers in Chongqing.
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