At least 46 people have been killed and 16 missing after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the southwestern province of Sichuan on Monday. The quake struck at 13:00 local time (05:00 GMT) in Sichuan province at a depth of 10km (6 miles). Sichuan is located on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau.

The impact of the earthquake was so severe and tremors in a remote region damaged homes and left some areas without electricity.

According to the reports, nearly 21 million people in Sichuan's capital Chengdu were last week ordered to stay at home because of Covid rules.

The epicentre of the earthquake was Luding, a town in a remote mountain region located about 226km southwest of Chengdu, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

Tremors shook buildings in Chengdu and the neighbouring mega-city of Chongqing. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the rescue officials to react swiftly and minimize casualties, stressing that saving lives should be taken as the primary task. Xi stressed strengthening quake monitoring, guarding against secondary disasters, and properly accommodating those affected.

The Indian Embassy offered heartfelt condolences to those who have lost their lives in the earthquake and tweeted, "Heartfelt condolences to lives lost in the devastating earthquake in Sichuan on September 5 and prayers for the early recovery of the injured."

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