BEIJING: A 5.9 magnitude earthquake jolted southern China near the border with Myanmar on Thursday, killing three people - one day after another quake damaged homes in the same area, state media reported.

Tens of thousands of people spent the night in a square and on playgrounds following the quake, which destroyed many houses in Yinjiang county, where the quake was centered, Xinhua said. About 100 people were injured, 20 seriously, when the quake struck at 8:24 p.m., he said.

The identities of the dead were not released by officials, Xinhua said. County head E Tun only identified one woman killed as being in her thirties.

The U. S. Geological Survey says the quake hit about 155 miles (250 kilometers) west of the popular tourist city of Dali in Yunnan province.

China is trying to rebuild from a 7.9 magnitude quake that struck nearby Sichuan province to the north on May 12, killing nearly 70,000 people and leaving 5 million homeless.

The United Nations said Friday it has received some U.S. 15 million from the international community to assist thousands of survivors from the earthquake to rebuild their lives. The funds will go towards supporting survivors in remote areas hit by the quake who have so far only received basic assistance, the U. N. Office in Beijing said in a statement. 

Source : AP