22 dead as quake shakes China

BEIJING (AFP) - Twenty-two people were killed and more than 100 were injured after an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale rocked southwest China on Saturday, state media reported.

The tremor jolted Panzhihua City in Sichuan province, where a devastating 8.0 quake struck in May, at 4:30pm (0830 GMT), according to Xinhua news agency.

Seventeen people died and about 100 were injured in Sichuan, while five were killed and 35 hurt in neighbouring Yunnan province, Xinhua said.

In Sichuan, a 54-year-old man was found dead in rubble, while another was confirmed to have died when a house collapsed.

Xinhua said more than 1,000 houses had been destroyed by the tremor while about 400 had cracks.