7-magnitude quake kills 72, injures 600 in China

At least 72 people have died and 600 more received injuries in a seven-magnitude earthquake that rattled the western Chinese region of Sichuan.

The powerful quake struck Lushan county of Ya’an city in Sichuan province at 8:02 a.m. Saturday.

The epicenter, with a depth of 13 kilometers, was monitored at 30.3 degrees north latitude and 103.0 degrees east longitude.

State media also warned that the casualty toll could climb sharply in Lushan, which is home to 1.5 million people.

“I felt the strong quake this morning in my office. All drawers of the desk opened and some stuff on the table fell on the floor,” said a witness in Ya’an city.

Reports say the quake also jolted buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu, causing the shutdown of the city’s airport for about an hour.

Lushan lies near the same Longmenshan fault where a 7.9-magnitude quake left more than 90,000 people dead or missing in May 2008.