China earthquake: 3 killed, 27 injured; Country records 166 aftershocks

BEIJING: A series of earthquakes jolted Yangbi Yi Autonomous County in China's Yunnan Province on Friday, killing at least three people and injuring 27 others.

According to Yang Guozong, the prefecture's ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) leader, the quake was felt in all 12 counties and cities of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, with Yangbi being the hardest hit.

Two deaths were reported in Yangbi county and one in Yongping County.

According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, three people were seriously injured and 24 others were injured.

The quakes affected 72,317 people living in 20,192 households.

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According to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, four earthquakes of greater than 5.0 magnitude struck Yangbi between 9 and 11 p.m. (Beijing Time).

As of 2 a.m., 166 aftershocks had been reported in the area. Rescue teams have been deployed to the earthquake zone, and rescue operations are currently underway.

Residents in Xining, the provincial capital city, which is 385 kilometers from the county seat of Maduo, felt the tremor intensely.

At 34.59 degrees north latitude and 98.34 degrees east longitude, the epicenter was located. The quake occurred at a depth of 17 kilometers.

Local authorities informed Xinhua that no casualties were confirmed after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck northwest China's Qinghai Province on Saturday.

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