Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rescue workers are digging through debris to try and find survivors

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 19 people and injured 247 in China's south-western province of Sichuan.

Six tourists are thought to be among the dead, with up to 45,000 people evacuated from the area.

A separate 6.6-magnitude tremor struck the remote area of XinJiang, injuring 32 people.

More than 87,000 people were killed in an earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008.

The quake struck at about 21:20 (13:20 GMT) on Tuesday about 300km (180 miles) north of the provincial capital Chengdu, and was 10km deep.

China's Earthquake Administration (CEA) said more than 1,000 aftershocks had been detected, with the most powerful reaching 4.8 magnitude on Wednesday.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption More than 1,250 soldiers have been deployed to the area to help local rescue efforts

Photos showed damage to buildings including a hotel in Jiuzhaigou, home to one of China's most famous nature reserves and a Unesco World Heritage site.

Many tourists visiting the area remained outside overnight while waiting for evacuation on Wednesday.

A restaurant owner in the town said this quake felt stronger than the 7.9 tremor in 2008, though there is no suggestion that the death toll could reach anywhere near the levels caused by that disaster.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Passengers were left stranded at Jiuzhaigou airport on Wednesday

Tang Sesheng told the AFP news agency that many people were taking refuge in the main square.

"People didn't dare grab anything like money or clothes - we just all ran outside right away," she said.

'Shocked and scared'

President Xi Jinping called for "all-out efforts to rapidly organise relief work and rescue the injured people", state news agency Xinhua reports, and fire officers and soldiers have been deployed from nearby areas.

Shaking was felt in Chengdu and in Xian, some 700km (430 miles) away.

Gwendolyn Pang of the Red Cross Society of China said it would take time to learn the extent of the damage and number of casualties.

"Communications lines and electricity are disrupted and people are no doubt shocked and scared," she said.

China's National Commission for Disaster Reduction, quoted by AFP, said as many as 100 people might have been killed and 130,000 homes damaged.

Emergency response operations have been activated by transport agencies and local airports to aid evacuations and allow rescue vehicles into the area.</s>JIUZHAIGOU, China (Reuters) - A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, killing 19 people, including eight tourists, and injuring 247, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.

The quake hit a sparsely populated area 200 km (120 miles) northwest of the city of Guangyuan late on Tuesday at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was also close to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a tourist destination.

Sichuan is frequently struck by tremors. A huge quake there in May 2008 killed almost 70,000 people.

A separate quake of magnitude 6.6 hit a remote part of China’s far northwestern region of Xinjiang, more than 2,000 km (1,240 miles) away, on Wednesday, the Chinese earthquake administration said. The People’s Daily said 32 people had been injured in the mostly rural area.

The Sichuan government said rescuers were gradually evacuating tourists and residents who had been cut off by landslides.

It added that 19 people had been killed, but most of those injured were not seriously hurt.

The dead included eight tourists, two residents and nine whose identities have yet to be confirmed, state television said.

In nearby Longnan in the neighboring province of Gansu, also jolted by the quake, eight people died in landslides caused by heavy rain, the People’s Daily said.

The Sichuan government added that 45,000 tourists had been evacuated from the quake zone with just 1,000 more still waiting to leave.

A few dozen tourists were camped out at Jiuzhaigou airport, waiting for flights. The airport was open and beginning to evacuate people by air, state media said.

A traveler with a young daughter who gave his family name as Li said he was in his hotel when the earthquake hit.

“The walls and floor shook. Some things fell off the table,” he said.

Some people were injured in the hotel but most were fine.

“The rescue services showed up quickly and gave us water and things to eat,” Li said, adding that he received priority in evacuation since he was accompanied by a small child.

“At first the road was blocked, but they had cleared a lane this morning for ambulances.”

A French man and a Canadian woman suffered light injuries, Xinhua reported.

Chinese paramilitary police carry a survivor after an earthquake in Jiuzhaigou county, Ngawa prefecture, Sichuan province, China August 9, 2017. Chengdu Economic Daily/Wang Qin via REUTERS

All 341 Taiwan tourists in 19 tour groups were safe, the government of the self-ruled island said, however.

The Sichuan government dismissed as overblown earlier fears that part of a hotel had collapsed, saying damage proved minor and everyone was evacuated safely.

The Sichuan earthquake administration, which also assessed the quake magnitude at 7.0, said its epicenter was in Ngawa prefecture, populated chiefly by ethnic Tibetans, many of whom are nomadic herders.

The area was rattled by aftershocks on Wednesday.

Pictures on state-run social media sites showed some damage in Jiuzhaigou, with tiles having fallen off buildings and people gathering outdoors.

State television said electricity had largely been restored to affected areas and the military was also sending rescuers.

The Sichuan government said on one of its official social media sites that more than 38,000 tourists were now visiting Jiuzhaigou.

Shaking was felt in the provincial capital, Chengdu, and as far away as Xian, home of the famous terracotta warrior figures, according to the government.

The Xinjiang quake’s epicenter was in Jinghe county, about 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan, where about 140,000 people live, according to Xinhua.

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Residents several hundred kilometers away in Urumqi, and the cities of Karamay and Yining, felt strong tremors, Xinhua said. The jolt lasted about 20 seconds, it said.

(This version of the story removes extraneous name in byline)</s>An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 hit China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Tuesday evening, the United State’s Geological Survey said. The China Earthquake Network Center, however, recorded quake of magnitude 7.0. There were no immediate reports of damage.

The temblor first struck in a sparsely populated area about 200 km from Guangyuan city. The epicentre was at a depth of 10 km in the Ngawa prefecture, the local administration said.

Earthquakes are common in the mountainous Sichuan province. In 2008, nearly 70,000 people were killed in a massive quake.</s>Shanghai/Beijing: Thirteen people, including six tourists, were killed and 175 injured when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part Sichuan in China’s southwest, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.

The quake hit a sparsely populated area 200km northwest of the city of Guangyuan late on Tuesday at a depth of 10km, the US Geological Survey said. It was also close to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a tourist destination.

A separate quake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck a remote part of China’s far northwestern region of Xinjiang, more than 2,000km away, on Wednesday morning, the Chinese earthquake administration said. There were no immediate reports of casualties there.

The Sichuan government said 100 tourists had been trapped by a landslide following Tuesday’s quake. Six tourists were among those killed, according to the official China News Service. The state-run Xinhua news agency said a total of 13 people had been killed, citing the provincial government, and that as many as 31,500 tourists had been evacuated from the quake zone.

A reception area in a hotel had collapsed, trapping some people, but 2,800 people had been evacuated from the building safely, the Sichuan fire service said. There was no confirmation of the nationalities of any of the tourists, but Jiuzhaigou is far more popular with Chinese tourists than foreigners.

The Sichuan earthquake administration, which also measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.0, said the epicentre of the tremor was in Ngawa prefecture, which is largely populated by ethnic Tibetans, many of whom are nomadic herders. The area was rattled by a number of aftershocks on Wednesday.

Pictures on state-run social media sites showed some damage in Jiuzhaigou, with tiles having fallen from buildings and people gathering outdoors.

State television said electricity had now largely been restored to the affected areas and the military was also sending rescuers to help with relief efforts. Jiuzhaigou airport was operating as normal after the runway was checked for damage, the report said.

The Sichuan government said on one of its official social media sites that more than 38,000 tourists were currently visiting Jiuzhaigou.

Shaking was felt in the provincial capital, Chengdu, and as far away as Xian, home of the famous terracotta warrior figures, according to users of Chinese social media.

Sichuan is frequently struck by earthquakes. A quake there in May 2008 killed almost 70,000 people.

The Xinjiang quake’s epicentre was in Jinghe county, about 100km from the border with Kazakhstan, where about 140,000 people live, according to Xinhua. Residents several hundred kilometres away in Urumqi, and the cities of Karamay and Yining, felt strong tremors, Xinhua said. The jolt lasted about 20 seconds, it said.</s>A powerful earthquake hit China's southwestern Sichuan province on late Tuesday (8 August) leaving at least 13 people dead and injuring nearly 200 others. Several people are also reported missing.

The magnitude seven earthquake's epicentre was near Jiuzhaigou National Park, a popular tourist destination in the country. The China Earthquake Administration has warned of aftershocks that can reach magnitude six.

The earthquake hit Jiuzhaigou county at 9.19pm local time on Tuesday (2.19pm BST), striking at a depth of 20km, Xinhua news agency quoted the China Earthquake Networks Center as saying. The news agency reported that at least five of those dead in the earthquake were tourists to the national park.

The government of Aba prefecture, where the park is located, reportedly said there were nearly 38,799 visitors at the park at the time of the quake. Of these, more than 31,000 tourists were moved to safe places. The park has temporarily been closed for tourists.

Hong Kong's immigration department has confirmed that three of their nationals are missing following the quake, the South China Morning Post wrote.

Rescue and relief work is underway in the sparsely populated area, which witnessed nearly two dozen deaths over the weekend due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall.

The China Earthquake Administration said that nearly 107 aftershocks were detected as of 10.30pm Tuesday and more could be felt in the coming days.

Sichuan is an earthquake-prone region and an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the region in May 2008 had killed more than 80,000 people. In 2013, another 7.0-magnitude quake hit Lushan, killing 196.</s>BEIJING: A 7.0-magnitude earthquake tonight rattled Jiuzhaigou County in China's southwestern Sichuan Province , the China Earthquake Networks Center said.There was no immediate report of any damage or casualties.Citing a statement issued by the center, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the quake occurred around 9.19 PM (local time) and struck at a depth of 20-km.</s>BEIJING: An earthquake measuring 6.5 in magnitude struck China's remote and mountainous southwestern province of Sichuan on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake struck in a sparsely populated area 200 km (120 miles) west-northwest of the city of Guangyuan at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), the USGS said. It had earlier put the quake at magnitude 6.6 and 32 km deep.

The Sichuan earthquake administration said the epicentre of the tremor was in Ngawa prefecture, largely populated by ethnic Tibetans, many of whom are nomadic herders, but also close to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a popular tourist destination.

The area is frequently struck by earthquakes.

Pictures on state media-run social media sites showed some minor damage in Jiuzhaigou, with tiles having fallen from buildings and people gathering outdoors, but no major damage.

State television cited a resident in a village near Jiuzhaigou as saying no buildings had collapsed, but that there had been strong shaking and people had fled outdoors.

Shaking was felt in the provincial capital Chengdu and as far away as Xian, home of the Terracotta Warriors, according to users of Chinese social media.

A quake in Sichuan in May 2008 killed almost 70,000 people.</s>An earthquake has killed at least five people and injured more than 60 in China's south-western province of Sichuan, officials say.

The 6.5-magnitude quake struck in the sparsely-populated north of Sichuan, the US Geological Survey said.

Some reports suggest the death toll could be much higher. The epicentre was close to an area popular with tourists.

Sichuan province is prone to earthquakes. More than 70,000 people were killed in a quake in 2008.

The quake struck at around 21:20 (13:20 GMT) some 300km (180 miles) north of the provincial capital Chengdu, and was 10km deep.

Photos showed damage to buildings, including a hotel, in Jiuzhaigou, home to one of China's most famous nature reserves and a Unesco World Heritage site.

A restaurant owner in the town said this quake felt stronger than the 2008 tremor, though there is no suggestion yet that the death toll could reach anywhere near the levels caused by that disaster.

Tang Sesheng told the AFP news agency that many people had fled buildings in Jiuzhaigou county - which includes a national park - and were taking refuge in the main square.

"People didn't dare grab anything like money or clothes - we just all ran outside right away," she said.

Gwendolyn Pang of the Red Cross Society of China said it would take time to learn the extent of the damage and number of casualties.

"Communications lines and electricity are disrupted and people are no doubt shocked and scared," she said.

China's National Commission for Disaster Reduction, quoted by AFP news agency, said as many as 100 people may have been killed and 130,000 homes damaged.

Some reports in the Chinese media said tourists were among the dead and injured.

President Xi Jinping called for "all-out efforts to rapidly organise relief work and rescue the injured people", state news agency Xinhua reports, and fire officers and soldiers were being deployed from nearby areas.

Shaking was felt in Chengdu and in Xian, home to the Terracotta Warriors, some 700km (430 miles) away.</s>A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of China's southwestern province of Sichuan, killing 19 people, including eight tourists, and injuring more than 245 people, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.

Jiuzhaigou is a nature reserve and national park located in the north of Sichuan province, China. Jiuzhaigou Valley was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997

The Sichuan government said 100 tourists had been trapped by a landslide following Tuesday's quake. Six tourists were among those killed, according to the official China News Service.

The state-run Xinhua news agency said as many as 31,500 tourists has been already evacuated from the earthquake hit zone.

For more videos, click here.</s>JIUZHAIGOU, China, Aug 9 (Reuters) - A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of China's southwestern province of Sichuan, killing 13 people, including six tourists, and injuring 175, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.

The quake hit a sparsely populated area 200 km (120 miles) northwest of the city of Guangyuan late on Tuesday at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was also close to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a tourist destination.

Sichuan is frequently struck by tremors. A huge quake there in May 2008 killed almost 70,000 people.

A separate quake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck a remote part of China's far northwestern region of Xinjiang, more than 2,000 km (1,240 miles) away, on Wednesday morning, the Chinese earthquake administration said. The People's Daily said 32 people had been injured in the mostly rural area.

The Sichuan government said rescuers were gradually evacuating tourists and residents who had been cut off by landslides.

Six tourists were among those killed, according to the official China News Service.

The state-run Xinhua news agency said 13 people had been killed, citing the provincial government, and that as many as 31,500 tourists had been evacuated from the quake zone, leading to traffic jams on the narrow roads.

A few dozen tourists were camped out at Jiuzhaigou airport, waiting for flights. The airport was open but many of the flights are delayed.

A traveller with a young daughter who gave his family name as Li said he was in his hotel when the earthquake hit.

"The walls and floor shook. Some things fell off the table," he said.

Some people were injured in the hotel but most were fine.

"The rescue services showed up quickly and gave us water and things to eat," Li said.

He was given priority to be evacuated as he was with a small child. "At first the road was blocked but they had cleared a lane this morning for ambulances."

The Sichuan government said earlier fears that part of a hotel had collapsed were overblown, with only relatively minor damage and everyone evacuated safely.

The Sichuan earthquake administration, which also measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.0, said the epicentre of the tremor was in Ngawa prefecture, which is largely populated by ethnic Tibetans, many of whom are nomadic herders.

The area was rattled by a number of aftershocks on Wednesday.

Pictures on state-run social media sites showed some damage in Jiuzhaigou, with tiles having fallen from buildings and people gathering outdoors.

State television said electricity had now largely been restored to the affected areas and the military was also sending rescuers to help with relief efforts.

The Sichuan government said on one of its official social media sites that more than 38,000 tourists were currently visiting Jiuzhaigou.

Shaking was felt in the provincial capital, Chengdu, and as far away as Xian, home of the famous terracotta warrior figures, according to the government.

The Xinjiang quake's epicentre was in Jinghe county, about 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan, where about 140,000 people live, according to Xinhua.

Residents several hundred kilometres away in Urumqi, and the cities of Karamay and Yining, felt strong tremors, Xinhua said. The jolt lasted about 20 seconds, it said. (Additional reporting by David Stanway in Shanghai and Michael Martina in Beijing; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Richard Pullin, Paul Tait and Michael Perry)
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes Sichuan in southwest China, killing at least thirteen people and injuring more than 175.