13 sustain minor injuries in 5.5-magnitude Sichuan earthquake

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake rattled Yibin City in southwest China's Sichuan Province early Monday, causing minor structural damage and prompting emergency assessments. Local media reports 13 people sustained minor injuries and 196 were evacuated.

The quake struck at just after midnight Monday, with its epicenter located at 28.50 degrees north latitude and 104.69 degrees east longitude in Gaoxian County, at a depth of six kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

Some walls in buildings near the epicenter were damaged, and tremors were felt in regional hubs including Chengdu City and Chongqing Municipality.

The Yibin Earthquake Monitoring Center located the epicenter near Shahe Town in Gaoxian, roughly 28 kilometers from downtown Yibin.

Local authorities have begun assessing the extent of damage and conducting inspections to address potential risks. Power, water and telecommunications services remained stable after the earthquake, local public security and emergency management authorities reported.