Rescuers carry an injured child on a stretcher after a strong earthquake hit the area in Ludian county in Zhaotong, southwest China's Yunnan province.

(VOVworld) – A powerful earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale that struck Ludian County, Zhaotong city, in China’s Yunnan province on Sunday has claimed 367 lives and injured 1,600 others. The number of casualties is predicted to rise. Chinese President Xi Jinping asked authorities nationwide to spare no effort to rescue people from the rubble, provide emergency medical treatment, and arrange accommodations for displaced persons. Zhaotong municipal authorities have mobilized more than 300 policemen and 1000 soldiers to support rescue and relief efforts. This was the strongest earthquake in Yunnan in the last 18 years.

VOV correspondent in China