Deadly earthquake hits China
Dozens of people in China are dead and hundreds more have been injured after an earthquake struck the southwest of the country on Saturday. China's leaders have ordered a major rescue operation. The quake hit a region still recovering from a devastating tremor five years ago.
The quake struck early morning local time, when many people were still in their homes. At the time of publication, the death toll was at 56 and the number of injured was estimated at 600. Local officials say the death toll could rise.
Measurements put the tremor at between 7 and 6.6; it struck about 113 kilometres from Chengdu, China's tenth-largest city.
Witnesses there say tiles fell from roofs as residents ran into the street.
But the damage is expected to be greater closer to the epicentre.
Electricity and water supplies are said to be down, and the United States Geological Survey said "extensive damage is probable". Past events of this size, it notes, required an international-level response.
A larger quake hit the same region in 2008, killing almost 90,000 people and leaving about 5 million homeless.
This time, China's state news agency said 2,000 soldiers were dispatched within hours to help rescue efforts.
As well, the China’s president and prime minister ordered an all-out effort to help those affected, to re-house the homeless and to improve seismic monitoring.