At least seven dead as 6.5-magnitude quake hits China

China is regularly hit by earthquakes, especially in its mountainous western and south-western regions.

Another 88 people were injured - 21 seriously - as the 6.5-magnitutde quake rattled through a remote region in the country's Sichuan province on Tuesday.

At least five people were killed and 90 others injured, including 30 seriously, and damage to property after a powerful quake measuring 7.0 magnitude rattled China's southwestern province Sichuan on Tuesday.

Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, is known for its spectacular waterfalls and karst formations.

State television said another tourist had been pulled out alive from rubble in a different part of Jiuzhaigou.

Shaking was felt in the provincial capital Chengdu and as far away as Xian, home of the famous Terracotta Warrior figures, according to users of Chinese social media.

Earlier, the national Commission of China for the liquidation of consequences of emergency situations said that an natural disaster could kill hundreds of people, thousands could suffer. "This felt even stronger", she told AFP news agency by phone.

The quake hit Jiuzhaigou County at 9:19pm Tuesday at a depth of 20km, Xinhua reported, citing the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC).

Local media reported earlier in the day that power supply had been cut off in Jiuzhaigou area after the natural disaster, and phone communications were also interrupted.

The Sichuan government said on one of its official social media sites that more than 38,000 tourists were now visiting Jiuzhaigou.

Yu said the power was cut off in her neighbourhood and quake disrupted telephone service linking the scenic area where some of her colleagues worked and lived.

According to sources, so far there are no casualties but several incidents of property damage has been reported.