Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds injured in a powerful earthquake in rural areas of China's south-western province of Sichuan.

The 6.6-magnitude quake wrecked buildings and cut power in Lushan county, and officials say an initial death toll of 56 is likely to rise.

Rescuers are struggling to get through to the worst-affected areas because of aftershocks and landslides.

Tens of thousands were killed in a quake that hit Sichuan in 2008.

The latest quake, initially reported as of 7.0 magnitude, struck at 08:02 local time (00:02 GMT).

Its epicentre was in a rural area some 115km (71 miles) west of provincial capital Chengdu, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

State broadcaster CCTV showed images of injured people being taken to hospital in Lushan.

One injured man told the channel: "We still live in our old house, the new one is not ready yet. Our house just collapsed. Everything collapsed."

The quake was measured at 12km below the surface, a shallow depth that usually indicates extensive damage.

Aerial shots of Lushan showed buildings collapsed or without roofs.

Power has been lost in the area, water supplies have been cut and telephone lines are also down.
An aerial view shows houses damaged after a strong earthquake in Lushan county, April 20, 2013 Lushan county appears to have sustained extensive damage

People in Chengdu felt the tremor and came running into the streets wrapped in blankets.

Chengdu resident Aaron Ozment told the BBC there was huge confusion in the city.

"I threw on a some clothes quickly and made my way into the courtyard of my complex," he said.

"Making calls was almost impossible; everybody was trying to contact everybody they knew."

Residents in the nearest city to the epicentre, Ya'an, felt jolts from the quake and aftershocks, but the city does not appear to have suffered major damage.

State news agency Xinhua said 2,000 soldiers had been despatched to help with rescue efforts.

Premier Li Keqiang is travelling to Sichuan to oversee the operation.

"The current most urgent issue is grasping the first 24 hours since the quake's occurrence, the golden time for saving lives," Mr Li was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The 2008 disaster in Sichuan left five million people homeless.

BBC