12 killed, over 100 injured as string of quakes jolt China

At least 12 people were killed and 125 others injured after two strong earthquakes hit China's southwest Sichuan province on Monday, authorities said Tuesday.

The first 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook Changning county of Yibin city at 10:55 PM on Monday (local time) and according to the China Earthquake Centre (CENC), the second tremor of 5.3-magnitude hit the area on Tuesday.

"As so far, 12 people died and another 125 were injured," the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

The epicentre of Monday's quake was recorded at a depth of 16 km, the CNCC said.

Most of the deaths were caused by damaged houses, according to rescuers.

Fifty-three people are receiving treatment in two hospitals in Changning. Among them, two are in critical conditions and six others are severely injured.

Official media reported that early warning systems installed in Chengdu and Yibin sounded alarms a minute before the quake struck.

The deaths and injuries were reported from across the province.

"Two people remain trapped and one of them is in critical condition," a rescuer told state-run Xinhua news agency.

Four people have been rescued and sent to a hospital, according to a rescuer in Shuanghe township.

People in Yibin said aftershocks were felt in the following half-an-hour of the earthquakes.

"I was resting in my house when the quake struck," said Chen Hongxia, who lives on the 16th floor of a residential building in Changning County.

"The chandelier and furniture were vigorously shaking, and my family first hid in the toilet and then rushed outside," Chen said, adding that many of her neighbours rushed to the ground floor.

Hu Yukun, also a resident of Changning County, said the quake was quite strong, and that "the ground kept shaking for about a minute."