China earthquake kills 258

AT least 258 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured yesterday when an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale ripped through a remote area in northwest China.

The quake flattened hundreds of buildings, including schools, as it rocked an area around Jiashi city in the western part of Xinjiang region at 10.03am local time.

"We expect the death toll to rise when we get more information," said a Bachu County Communist Party spokesperson.