China quake: Deadly tremor rocks Sichuan city in lockdown

 Southwest China has had a 6.6 magnitude earthquake that has left at least 13 people dead.

The earthquake occurred in Sichuan Province at a depth of 10 km around 13:00 local time (05:00 GMT) (6 miles).

According to local media sources, the impact destroyed telephone lines and caused mountain landslides that resulted in "major damage."

The Covid regulations had previously instructed about 21 million residents of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, to remain at home.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake's epicenter occurred in Luding, a town in a remote mountain region 226 kilometers southwest of Chengdu.

Buildings in Chengdu and the nearby megacity of Chongqing were shaken by tremors that also interrupted telecommunications cables in places with more than 10,000 residents and blocked highways.

 According to the Chinese broadcaster, the shocks also forced some power plants to close in the Garze and Ya'an regions.

According to official broadcaster CGTN, more than 500 rescuers have been sent to the disaster's epicenter, and workers are working to clear landslide-caused obstacles.

Individuals of Chengdu claimed to have witnessed panicked residents fleeing their high-rise buildings after receiving earthquake alerts on their phones.

Several people were so afraid that they started crying, international PR expert Laura Luo told Reuters.

When the trembling started, "The canines all started barking. It was quite frightful ".

According to Chen, a resident of Chengdu, "several of my neighbors on the bottom floor reported they felt it noticeably."

 People aren't allowed to leave their residential compounds because Chengdu is currently undergoing epidemic management, therefore many of them hurried out into their courtyards.

To slow the surge in Covid cases, Chinese authorities on Friday closed down Chengdu as the latest city.

The most recent catastrophe occurred months after an earthquake in Sichuan, China, with a magnitude of 6.1. Due to its location near the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau's eastern border, Sichuan is an earthquake-prone region.

The most recent tragedy brought to mind an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Wenchuan county in northwest Sichuan in 2008 and left 70,000 dead and extensive damage.