30 people killed in southwest China

At least 30 people were killed when a strong earthquake struck southwestern China yesterday, 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 kilometres southeast of the city of Kangding in Sichuan province at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to US Geological Survey.

The death toll now stands at "more than 30 dead", according to 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.

"Some of my neighbours on the ground floor said they felt it very noticeably," said Chen, a resident of Chengdu. "But because Chengdu is currently under epidemic management, people aren't allowed to leave compounds, so many of them rushed out into their courtyards," she added.