Earthquake in China kills 21, as landslides strike

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck China’s Sichuan province, killing at least 21 people and shaking the capital Chengdu.

The epicentre was at Luding, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said, a town in the mountains about 226km (110 miles) southwest of Chengdu.

Some roads and homes near the epicentre were damaged by landslides on Monday, while communications were down in at least one area, according to state television.

No damage to dam and hydropower stations within 50km (31 miles) of the epicentre was reported.

Earthquakes are common in Sichuan, a southwestern province, especially in its western mountains, a tectonically active area along the eastern boundary of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

Resident Jiang Danli said she hid under a desk for five minutes in her 31st floor apartment, while many of her neighbours rushed downstairs.

Credit: bbc.com

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