(CNN) – At least 46 people were killed and 50 others injured after an earthquake hit southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Monday, CCTV reported, citing local authorities.
The earthquake, measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale with a depth of 10 km, hit southwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, at around 1 p.m. local time on Monday, the US Geological Survey said.
The US Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was located about 43 kilometers southeast of the city of Kangding, which has a population of about 100,000.
It added that it is estimated that more than a million residents in the surrounding areas experienced moderate aftershocks after the earthquake.
China has activated a level 3 emergency response and sent rescuers to Luoding County, near the epicenter, according to China’s State Council. China’s CGTN broadcaster said rescue teams were helping to clear roads blocked by landslides caused by the quake.
Sichuan Province, with a population of 84 million, was already facing a very difficult summer before the strong earthquake. In the past two months, the county has experienced droughts and the worst heatwaves in 60 years.
The landlocked region is prone to earthquakes due to the Langmenshan Fault, which runs through the Sichuan Mountains.
The 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Sichuan in 2008 was one of the most destructive in the country. Nearly 90,000 people were killed and the aftershocks were felt in cities more than 1,450 kilometers away.
Last year, a 6-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province, killing three people and injuring 60 others, according to state media at the time.
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