Magnitude 6.9 quake strikes Sichuan region of China: USGS

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

A magnitude 6.9 quake struck the western Chinese region of Sichuan on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

It said the earthquake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.0 tremor, was centered 69 miles northwest of the town of Leshan. It occurred at a depth of only 10.2 miles below the surface.

A 6.9 quake is capable of causing severe damage.

(Reporting by Sandra Maler; Editing by Paul Simao)

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Earthquake strikes Sichuan, China BBC News

A strong earthquake has struck the western Chinese region of Sichuan.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which had a 6.6 magnitude, was centred 80km (50 miles) west of the town of Linqiong.

It said the tremor occurred at a depth of 12.3km (7.6 miles). It is not clear if there have been casualties.

The area is prone to tremors. An 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, in May 2008, killed nearly 90,000 people.

The latest quake - initially reported as a 7.0 magnitude, and then at 6.9 - struck at 08:02 local time (01:02 BST), the USGS said.

It was felt 115km (71 miles) away in the provincial capital, Chengdu, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.