Two people lost their lives and three were injured in a shallow earthquake Thursday morning (September 16) in southwest China's Sichuan province, state media reported.
The local government has confirmed the deaths, without specifying their whereabouts or providing further details, China Global Television Network (CGTN) said.
Read alsoThe earthquake could have claimed 80,000 victims in China
The United States Institute for Geological Studies (USGS) measured this earthquake at magnitude 5.4, but the China Earthquake Center puts it at magnitude 6.0. The two organizations locate the epicenter at a shallow depth of ten kilometers, about 120 km southwest of the sprawling megalopolis of Chongqing, whose metropolitan area has a population of some 30 million.
The natural phenomenon prompted authorities to trigger the second level of emergency for rescuers in the Sichuan region, according to state media.
The city of Luzhou sent emergency services to the scene, the Xinhua news agency said, without giving further details.
"Significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread,"
the USGS said in a preliminary assessment.
Read alsoSichuan earthquake in China: at least 12 dead and 134 injured
In 2008, Sichuan province was hit by a violent earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9, in which 87,000 people died or disappeared.
