Deadly magnitude 6.6 quake strikes Sichuan region of China

[NBCNews]

   A magnitude 6.6 earthquake rattled the Sichuan region in western China on Saturday and state media reported deaths and injuries.

Follow @NBCNewsWorldThe quake struck at 8:02 a.m. local time and was  centered north of the city of Ya'an. It occurred at a  depth of 10.2 miles below the surface, the U.S. Geological Service reported.

The magnitude was initially reported at 6.9, but was later revised down to 6.6, the USGS said.

The official Xinhua news agency said 56 people had been confirmed dead. The Associated Press said a Communist Party officials put the toll at 32, with more than 600 injured.


Xinhua said 2,000 troops were heading to the area to help with rescue  efforts. State television CCTV said only emergency vehicles were being allowed  into Ya'an, though Chengdu airport had reopened.

A resident in Chengdu, about 85 miles from Ya'an city, told Xinhua he was on the 13th floor of a  building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he  saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

Ya'an is considered one of the birthplaces of Chinese tea culture and is the home to one  of China's main centers for protecting the giant panda.

The epicenter is south of the area where a 7.9-magnitude quake struck in 2008, killing more than 87,000 people. Millions of residents live in the Sichuan basin.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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