Eighteen people were injured including five in critical condition after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit Zizhong County, Neijiang City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday morning.
The quake, which hit the region at 8:14 a.m., has also damaged houses and public facilities.
The depth of the epicenter was detected at 14 kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, a total of 20 houses have collapsed, 11,968 households lost power and three mobile communications base stations were damaged.
Over 2,000 rescuers, including local police, emergency response forces, medical staff and firefighters, are carrying out rescue operations and relocating victims in quake-affected areas.
Seismologists said it is unlikely that a larger earthquake will occur in the area in the coming days.
Students evacuate their classrooms in a school following a M5.2 quake in Neijiang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, December 18, 2019./ Neijiang government information office Photo
During the quake, several schools in the vicinity of Zizhong County were evacuated.
The railway department in Sichuan has also activated its emergency response mechanism to ensure the safety of travelers.
(CGTN's Wei Lynn also contributed to the story)
(With input from Xinhua News Agency)