A strong earthquake that hit Sichuan province in southern China late Monday night killed twelve people and injured 125, officials and news reports said.
The U.S. Geological Survey warned there could be significant damage. Authorities in China said the earthquake measured magnitude 6.0 and hit about 19 kilometers (12 miles) from the city of Changning. The nearest major city, Chongqing, is 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the northeast.
The quake was centered at a fairly shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), the USGS said. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage to buildings and infrastructure.An aftershock measuring magnitude 5.2 later hit the same area, the USGS said.
The Beijing Youth Daily said some people had been injured, but that could not be immediately confirmed. The emergency management ministry said teams of firefighters have been sent to the area to search for any casualties.
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