Death toll rises to 65 after strong earthquake hits China’s Sichuan province Rescue workers are struggling to rescue hundreds of people and provide emergency aid to the victims. Sichuan has been hit by a powerful earthquake since 2017. The earthquake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale.
About 250 injured people are being treated. Chinese media said several people were seriously injured. Officials are working to rescue more than 200 people trapped in the affected areas. Disconnected telephone connections, electricity and water facilities are being reconnected.
The earthquake struck on Monday afternoon. Its impact was felt hundreds of kilometers away.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that the main task should be to save lives. More than 6,500 officials have been deployed in the rescue operation.
Earthquakes are common in the mountainous region of Sichuan. 70,000 people died in the 2008 earthquake.