A strong earthquake has hit a mountainous region in south-western China near a famous national park, killing 13 people, injuring 175 others and crippling power and phone networks.

At least two people were killed today when a powerful earthquake jolted China’s Sichuan province near the same area where a devastating quake struck five years ago.

The Sichuan provincial government says the region’s death toll from last week’s earthquake in China has passed the 55,000 mark, with nearly 25,000 others still missing.