(CNN) — At least 21 people were killed and more than 30 injured in an earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan province on Monday, Chinese television network CCTV reported, citing local officials.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers southwest of the Sichuan capital, Chengdu, around 1 p.m. local time on Monday.
The epicenter was located about 43 kilometers southeast of Gangdung, a city of about 100,000 people, according to the USGS.
It is estimated that more than one million residents in the surrounding areas experienced moderate tremors after the earthquake.
According to China’s State Council, China activated a Level 3 emergency response and sent rescuers to Luding County, near the center. Chinese broadcaster CGTN reported that rescue teams were helping clear roads blocked by earthquake-triggered landslides.
Sichuan, a province of 84 million people, faced a very challenging summer before the powerful earthquake. In the past two months, the province has experienced drought and the worst heat wave in 60 years.
The landlocked area is prone to earthquakes due to the Longmenshan Trench that runs through the Sichuan Mountains.
The 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan in 2008 was one of the country’s worst disasters. About 90,000 people were killed and the tremors were felt in cities 1,450 kilometers away.
Last year, a magnitude 6 earthquake struck Sichuan, killing three people and injuring 60, state media reported at the time.
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