As many as 100 People Feared Dead In Chinese Earthquake

Beijing: A 6.6-magnitude earthquake rattled southwest China late on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people, with up to 100 feared dead.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the quake struck at 7:27 am(local time) at a depth of 11 kilometeres.

Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, is a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations. More than 34,000 people visited the tourist attraction on Tuesday. So far, 31,500 tourists have been relocated to safe places.

The local government has organized tourist coaches and private-owned vehicles to rush to the affected areas to help transport the stranded tourists. Power, communication and water supply in the county seat have basically recovered.

Sichuan is a quake-prone region. In May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan and killed more than 80,000 people. In 2013, a 7.0-magnitude quake hit Lushan, in which 196 people were killed.

PTI