BEIJING (AP) -- At least two people were killed Saturday when a powerful earthquake jolted China's Sichuan province near the same area where a devastating quake struck five years ago, with state media warning the casualty toll could climb sharply.
The government's seismological bureau said the quake hit shortly after 8 a.m. in Lushan county in the city of Ya'an, home to China's famous pandas.
Update: Friday, April 19, 2013 - 11:16 p.m. ET:
Earthquake measures 6.6 in magnitude
The bureau initially measured the quake at magnitude-7, while the US Geological Survey recorded it at 6.6-magnitude, powerful enough to cause severe damage. Its depth was shallow, less than 8 miles (13kms), which could magnify the impact.
The Xinhua News Agency said that the quake rattled buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu, 70 miles to the east.
Update: Friday, April 19, 2013 - 11:59 p.m. ET:
BREAKING: Communist Party official: China earthquake kills 32 people, injures more than 600. -SS
BREAKING: Communist Party official: China earthquake kills 32 people, injures more than 600. -SS-- The Associated Press
Update: Saturday, April 20, 2013 - 1:16 p.m. ET:
160 were killed, over 5,700 injured in the 7.0-m quake in China's Sichuan as of 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Civil Affairs Ministry says.
160 were killed, over 5,700 injured in the 7.0-m quake in China's Sichuan as of 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Civil Affairs Ministry says.-- Xinhua News Agency