UPDATE: 1:30 a.m. EDT, Thursday — The death toll in the earthquake in Sichuan province in China that took place Wednesday rose to 20 as of 12 p.m. Thursday local time (12 a.m. EDT), while the number of injured people has gone up to 431, reports said.

UPDATE: 3:57 a.m. EDT, Wednesday — The death toll in the earthquake in Sichuan province in China has now increased to 19. At least six tourists have died following the massive quake that injured 247 people, according to Reuters.

Original Story

At least 13 people died and over 175 were injured late Tuesday after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit a popular tourist area in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, according to state media. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "all-out efforts" to rapidly organize relief work and rescue the injured.

Some 28 people have suffered severe injuries in the high-magnitude earthquake that struck Jiuzhaigou County, the China Global Television Network reported.

At least five people who died were tourists, according to state-owned Xinhua news agency. Over 2,800 people were rescued and evacuated from the severely damaged InterContinental Hotel at the popular tourist site.

The epicenter was monitored at 33.2 degrees north latitude and 103.82 degrees east longitude and the earthquake was said to have hit at a depth of 20 km, Xinhua reported citing the China Earthquake Networks Center.

Read: Suspected Cartel Gunmen Open Fire At Tourists In Mexico Beach

China has a four-level earthquake emergency response system. Following the quake, the China Earthquake Administration launched a Level I emergency response — the highest of its four levels — according to state media.

Amid ongoing rescue operations, at least 400 fire trucks and over 1,100 firefighters were sent to the scene and they were said to have brought with them 30 rescue dogs, 24 generators and 55 life detectors, according to CNN.

Local authorities announced the tourist area in Jiuzhaigou, which includes a national park known for its waterfalls and topographical formations, would be shut down beginning Wednesday.

As the massive quake took place during peak tourist season, President Jinping said the authorities should be more careful and enhance meteorological early warning and geological monitoring to prevent such disasters. Premier Li Keqiang also requested local authorities to help in relief and monitoring work, according to Xinhua news agency.

Photos and videos taken by the state media at the scene showed rubble lying on the streets and a severely damaged hotel entrance. People could be seen rushing out of the buildings.

The state television later said electricity was restored in most affected areas, and the Chinese military has also been sending officials in order to help with rescue and relief efforts. “The tremors were very strong,” an unnamed woman in Jiuzhaigou town was quoted as saying by ABC News. “People from other regions are pretty frightened.”

Read: Florida 3-Year-Old Dies After Being Left In Day Care Van For 12 Hours

The Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport was operating normally following an inspection by the officials.

About seven hours after the earthquake in Jiuzhaigou County, powerful tremors were felt in far northwestern China, around 2,200 kilometers (1,360 miles) away. The 6.3 magnitude quake in this region was reported early morning on Wednesday. It was said to have its epicenter in a scarcely populated area in the Xinjiang region near the Kazakhstan border. There were no immediate reports of casualties although aftershocks followed, the Washington Post reported.

RELATED STORIES
China