Earthquake hits China

At least 400 people were killed in a series of strong earthquakes that struck a remote area of China.

Thousands more were injured in the quake, centred on Yushu county, which has a population of about 100,000 mostly herders and farmers.

Police were forced to use shovels to dig through the rubble in one township where most of the homes had been flattened.

With most of the roads leading to the nearest airport damaged, equipment and rescuers were having problems reaching the area.

Downed phone lines, strong winds and frequent aftershocks also hindered rescue efforts.

Workers were racing to release water from a reservoir in the disaster area where a crack had formed after the quake.

The magnitude-6.9 quake struck in an area in the south of Qinghai province, near Tibet, the US Geological Survey said. The USGS recorded six shocks in less than three hours, all but one registered 5.0 or higher.

Local journalist Karsum Nyima said: "In a flash, the houses went down. It was a terrible earthquake.

"In a small park, there is a Buddhist pagoda and the top of the pagoda fell off. ... Everybody is out on the streets, standing in front of their houses, trying to find their family members."

The earthquake comes a little less than two years after a magnitude-7.9 quake in neighbouring Sichuan province left almost 90,000 people dead or missing.

Alot of earthquakes hitting around the world. gosh

been one every month this year so far