In China, at least 11 people dead and 122 others injured in a 6.0-magnitude earthquake which struck the country’s southwestern Sichuan province yesterday.

State-run news agency Xinhua reported local police are trying to evacuate the people to safety and hospital staff, firemen and other rescuers were rushing to affected areas in heavy rain near the epicentre, which was located outside the city of Yibin.

A series of at least four aftershocks, the largest of which had a magnitude of 5.1, took place in the following 40 minutes. The agency said a hotel close to the epicentre collapsed. Cracks appeared in several area highways.

Earthquakes regularly strike Sichuan, where a powerful 7.9-magnitude quake left 87,000 people dead or missing in 2008.