Strong quake rocks China

CHINA: At least two people were killed and nearly 70 injured when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck in southwest China early Sunday, state media and local officials said.

Local residents fled their houses in panic when the tremor struck at 5:34 am (2134 GMT) in the old downtown of Pu'er city, in a county inhabited by an ethnic minority, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Authorities said thousands of people were being evacuated from the tremor-prone area in Yunnan province, near the border with Laos and Myanmar.

Beijing, Sunday, AFP