Three die in China aftershock: official

At least three people have been killed in a strong early-morning aftershock in quake-hit southwestern China, says a local official.

At least three people were killed on Sunday in a strong early-morning aftershock in quake-hit southwestern China, a local official told AFP.

HT Image

More than 50 people were also injured in the 6.0-magnitude aftershock in the township of Jiangyou in Sichuan province, said the local official, Liao Boxun.

"They went back to their damaged homes to pick up their things when the aftershock hit unexpectedly," he said by telephone.

It was the first report of deaths from Sunday's aftershock, one of the strongest to rattle the region since last Monday's tremor that killed an estimated 50,000 people.