By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern China on Wednesday, triggering authorities to mobilize hundreds of rescuers to respond.
The earthquake hit China’s Lushan county in the city of Ya’an in the Sichuan province at around 5 p.m. local time (0900GMT) at a depth of 17 kilometers (10.5 miles), the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said in a statement to the country’s public broadcaster CGTN.
It said the epicenter was located at 30.37 degrees north latitude and 102.94 degrees east longitude.
The center also recorded an aftershock of 4.5 magnitude in the region, three minutes after the first temblor.
Chinese daily Global Times said over 1,100 rescuers have been mobilized across the province, while more than 200 have been dispatched to the epicenter.