Earthquake kills 1 in China

BEIJING: State media and local officials say an earthquake hit a mountainous area in southwestern China Saturday morning, killing at least one and injuring several more.

The quake, which measures 5.9 on the Richter scale by China Earthquake Administration and 5.8 by the U.S. Geological Survey, shook several counties in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, including the scenic Shangri-La county.

The official Xinhua News Agency says one person died and three others were seriously injured. China Earthquake Administration reported that there were no fatalities but that six people were injured. Different accounts of casualties are common within the first few hours of a disaster.

China's mountainous areas in its southwest are prone to earthquakes. In May 2008, a powerful quake in Sichuan left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing.