"The most terrifying"... China earthquake kills 45 people

More than 45 people were killed in a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked southwest China's Sichuan province, its capital, Chengdu, and other provinces on Monday, the most powerful earthquake in the region since 2017.

State television reported that landslides damaged some roads and homes near the epicenter, while communications were cut off in at least one area.

There were no reports of damage to dams or hydropower stations within 50 km of the epicenter, although damage to the province's electricity grid affected supplies to about 40,000 consumers.

The China Earthquake Networks Center said the quake's epicenter was in Luoding Town, which is located in the mountainous region, 226 km southwest of Chengdu.

Earthquakes are common in Sichuan in southwest China, especially in the mountainous regions of the western province.

Laura Lu, who lives in Chengdu, a city of 21 million people, was on her way to her apartment complex when she saw people rushing out of their high-rise buildings after receiving earthquake warnings on their phones.

"There were a lot of people in such a panic that they broke down in tears," Laura, a public relations consultant, told Reuters.

Referring to the moment the earthquake began, she added, "All the dogs started barking. To be honest, the situation was very scary."

The China News Service reported that the quake was so strong in Luoding that it was difficult for some people to stand still while cracks appeared in some houses.

Videos posted on social media showed lights swinging as people rushed out of buildings and into the streets.

The Sichuan provincial government announced that more than 45 people had died.

Among the deaths, at least four are in Luding.

State television reported that 39,000 people lived within 20 kilometers around the epicenter, and a total of 1.55 million people lived within 100 kilometers.

This is the strongest earthquake in Sichuan since August 2017, when a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook Aba County.

The strongest earthquake on record occurred in Sichuan in May 2008, with a magnitude of eight and its epicenter in Wenchuan, killing nearly 70,000 people and causing extensive damage.

An earthquake was felt in Yunnan, Shaanxi and Guizhou provinces, hundreds of kilometers away, according to state media.

"The building kept shaking. In fact, this was the most terrifying earthquake since the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake," said Samantha Yang, a 23-year-old resident of Chengdu, who was in bed when the quake struck.

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