Panzhihua (China): The death toll in the earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale that hit southwest China's Sichuan province Saturday rose to 22, officials said.

At least 17 people were killed and more than 100 injured in Sichuan province, while five people were reportedly killed and 26 injured in neighbouring Yunnan province, according to provincial authorities.

Huge damage to properties in both the provinces has also been reported.

The quake struck at 4.30 p.m. with its epicentre some 50 km southeast of Panzhihua city, at a depth of 10 km, the National Seismograph Network Center said.

The tremor was felt in Yunan's capital, Kunming, about 300 km from the epicentre, and Sichuan's capital of Chengdu.

Sichuan province had been hit by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake May 12, killing up to 70,000 people and devastating an area of 40,000 sq km.

More than 42 million people have been affected by the quake.

Meanwhile, another earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale hit northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur region Saturday evening, but there is no immediate reports of any casualty.

The quake struck northwest of Hejing county at 8.45 p.m. with its epicentre at a depth of 10 km, the National Seismograph Network Centre said. 

Source : IANS