A powerful earthquake hits southwest China

A strong earthquake shook a part of southwest China on Monday afternoon.

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Luding County in Sichuan Province at 12:52 p.m..

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.6 and was centered at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Sichuan, which sits on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau where the tectonic plates meet, is regularly hit by earthquakes.

Two earthquakes in June killed at least four people.

Authorities reported seven deaths, landslides and damage to homes and power interruptions.

One landslide blocked a rural highway, leaving it strewn with rocks, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.