A strong earthquake killed at least seven people, triggered landslides and shook residents in a major city under lockdown in southwestern China on Monday, the Associated Press quoted state media as reported. The 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous area in Luding county in Sichuan province shortly after noon, the China Earthquake Networks Center said. Sichuan, which sits on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau where tectonic plates meet, is regularly hit by earthquakes. Two quakes in June killed at least four people. Authorities reported seven deaths, landslides and damage to homes and power interruptions, state broadcaster CCTV said. One landslide blocked a rural highway, leaving it strewn with rocks, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.
