5.9-magnitude quake jolts SW China

An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted border of southwest China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces at 8:04 a.m.(Beijing Time) on Saturday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter was monitored at 28.2 degrees north latitude and 99.4 degrees east longitude, in the area bordering the counties of Shangri-La, Deqen of Yunnan Province and Derong County of Sichuan Province, with a depth of about 10 kilometers, the center said.

The quake was felt strongly in the county seat of Deqen, said Liao Wencai, vice secretary of the Deqen County Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Benzilan Township is believed to be the epicenter, according to local residents.

"We are heading to Benzilan. The telecommunication there has been cut off, and many residents cannot be reached by mobile phone," Liao said.

The quake and aftershocks triggered landslides, which blocked the traffic from Deqen to Benzilan.

Early on Wednesday, a 5.1-magnitude quake hit the same border area, affecting more than 52,000 residents in Yunan.