China is mobilizing an emergency response after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocked Sichuan province Thursday, leaving at least three dead and 60 injured, according to state media.
The quake struck early in the morning, and the epicenter was about 52 kilometers southwest of Yongchuan district in Chongqing.
More than 1,200 houses reportedly have collapsed, with more than 3,000 severely damaged, the state-run Global Times reported.
Luzhou City, which has a population of about 5 million, reportedly was the hardest hit.
"I woke up to the tremor and saw the chandelier in my room swinging dramatically and the writing desk was shaking," one resident, surnamed Tang, told the Global Times. "It's been a long time since an earthquake of this magnitude has occurred."
Soldiers and other emergency workers have been deployed, bringing with them medical equipment and supplies. Tents for evacuees reportedly have been set up in a village near Luzhou City.
Sichuan province is in a seismically active area of China that is prone to earthquakes, such as the 2008 7.9 magnitude quake that killed nearly 90,000.
Some information in this report came from Reuters.
