BEIJING: A strong earthquake hit China's southwest region. Reports are that 65 people died in the earthquake. The epicentre of the earthquake was 43 km away in Kangding city, Sichuan province. A magnitude of 6.6 was recorded on the Richter scale.

International media reports that several houses have been damaged and medical connections have been disrupted. Many buildings were damaged in the capital city of Chengdu. This is an area where a strict lockdown has been imposed as part of the Covid restrictions. According to media reports, residents of the area said that strong vibrations were felt inside the house and household appliances fell down.

There are reports that roads leading into the main city have collapsed and communication systems have been disrupted by the quake. Several aftershocks were also felt. Less than an hour after the first earthquake, eastern Tibet was hit by a small earthquake with a magnitude of 4.6
Hundreds of rescue workers have reached the earthquake-affected area. The local administration has stated that steps have been taken to provide immediate assistance to the people in the earthquake-affected area. A 4.6-magnitude tremor struck eastern Tibet less than an hour after the initial quake, according to the USGS. Hundreds of rescue workers have been dispatched to the epicentre.

Nearly 250 people were being treated for injuries from the disaster, with dozens critically wounded, according to Chinese state media.
The Sichuan Seismological Authority said more than 1,000 troops had been dispatched to help rescuers. Authorities have sent thousands of tents, blankets and folding beds to the affected areas. The rescue operation is being carried out following the Covid restrictions.

Rescuers are also working on retrieving over 200 people stranded in the quake zone, restoring telecommunications services and power and water utilities, as well as delivering food supply to residents affected by the magnitude-6.8 temblor, state media reported.

President Xi Jinping called on local authorities to give priority to saving lives and make every effort to save people in disaster-affected areas and minimize loss of life.

On Tuesday, state television reported over 200 people were still stranded in Hailuogou, a popular tourist spot known for its glaciers, verdant forests and soaring peaks. Rescuers were still working to reopen blocked roads to reach them.
With heavy rains expected over the next three days, experts on Tuesday flagged risks from a number of dammed lakes that have formed after the quake.

Authorities were considering flying drones to inspect the situation upstream of Wandong River, the main tributary of Dadu River.
Earthquakes are common in Sichuan, especially in its mountains in the west, a tectonically active area along the eastern boundary of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

Monday's quake was Sichuan's biggest since August 2017, when one of magnitude 7.0 hit the Aba prefecture north of Luding.
In 2008, Sichuan province was hit by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives that day.