AKIPRESS.COM - A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 13 people and injured scores more in China's south-western province of Sichuan, BBC reports.
The quake struck in the sparsely populated north of Sichuan, the US Geological Survey said.
Some reports suggest the death toll could grow. The epicentre was close to an area popular with tourists.
Sichuan province is prone to earthquakes. More than 70,000 people were killed in a quake there in 2008.
The quake struck at around 21:20 (13:20 GMT) about 300km (180 miles) north of the provincial capital Chengdu, and was 10km deep.
Photos showed damage to buildings, including a hotel, in Jiuzhaigou, home to one of China's most famous nature reserves and a Unesco World Heritage site.
A restaurant owner in the town said this quake felt stronger than the 2008 tremor, though there is no suggestion yet that the death toll could reach anywhere near the levels caused by that disaster.