An earthquake has hit a mountainous area in south-western China, killing at least three people and injuring several more.

A powerful earthquake struck the steep hills of China’s south-western Sichuan province today, leaving at least 156 people dead and more than 5,500 injured, nearly five years after a devastating quake wreaked widespread damage across the region.

A SERIES of strong earthquakes struck a mountainous Tibetan area of western China, killing at least 400 people and injuring more than 10,000 as houses made of mud and wood collapsed, officials said.

Chinese rescue teams carrying tents, quilts and sacks of rice rushed today to reach survivors of an earthquake that killed at least 27 people, turned tens of thousands of homes into rubble and cracked reservoirs.