4 Dead, 100 Injured As Earthquake Rocks China

An earthquake of 5.7 magnitude hit a remote mountainous terrain in southwest China Sunday, leaving at least four people dead and over 100 others injured, Chinese authorities said Monday.

Three people were reported dead in Ninglang county in the Yunnan province and another one in neighboring Yanyuan county in the Sichuan province. Of the 106 people who were severely injured, seven are tourists.

Over 4,280 houses collapsed in the quake which destroyed roads and water supply systems, disrupting the lives of more than 21,800 people, said He Lianghui, mayor of Lijiang city, which administers Ninglang, according to Chinese media reports. The quake also left over 1,200 domestic animals dead.

The epicenter of the quake was located at the border area between Ninglang and Yanyuan, where the Yi ethnic group live.

The quake struck at 3.59 pm (local time) Saturday, followed by a 3.3-magnitude aftershock two minutes later, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

The earthquake was followed by 53 aftershocks Sunday and the strongest one measured 3.8 on the Richter scale, said Chen Qin, deputy head of the Yunnan provincial seismology bureau, Xinhua reported.

A team of 1,300 people have been sent for rescue operations and quake relief headquarters have been set up, according to local authorities.