(CNN) — At least 46 people were killed and 50 injured after an earthquake hit southwest China’s Sichuan province on Monday, according to Chinese television network CCTV citing local authorities.
The 6.6-magnitude earthquake with a depth of 10 kilometers struck southwest of the Sichuan capital Chengdu around 1 pm local time on Monday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. ).
The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 43 kilometers southeast of Kangding, a city of about 100,000 people, according to the USGS.
More than a million residents in surrounding areas are estimated to have experienced moderate aftershocks after the quake, it added.
China activated a Level 3 emergency response and dispatched rescuers to Luding County near the epicenter, according to China’s State Council. Chinese broadcaster CGTN said rescue teams were helping to clear roads blocked by landslides triggered by the quake.
Sichuan, a province of 84 million people, was already facing a very challenging summer before the powerful earthquake. In the last two months, the province has endured a drought and the worst heat waves in 60 years.
The landlocked area is prone to earthquakes due to the Langmenshan Fault, which runs through the Sichuan Mountains.
A 7.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Sichuan in 2008 was one of the country’s most devastating. Almost 90,000 people were killed and aftershocks were felt in cities more than 1,450 kilometers away.
Last year, a magnitude 6 earthquake hit Sichuan, leaving three people dead and 60 injured, according to state media at the time.