Earthquake in southwest China kills 46

BEIJING: At least 46 people were killed when a strong earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday, state media reported, as violent tremors in a remote region damaged homes and left some areas without electricity.

The magnitude 6.6 quake hit about 43-km southeast of the city of Kangding in Sichuan province at a depth of 10-km, according to the US Geological Survey. Fourteen people lost their lives in Sichuan’s Shimian county and seven died in nearby Luding county, while more than 30 were injured, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Tremors shook buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu -- where millions are confined to their homes under a strict Covid lockdown -- and in the nearby megacity of Chongqing, local residents told AFP. "I felt it quite strongly. Some of my neighbours on the ground floor said they felt it very noticeably," said Chen, a resident of Chengdu.