An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted Southwest China at 8:04 am Saturday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

A person died, three were injured seriously and 17 others from three tourist buses were trapped by quake-triggered landslides that blocked a road in Yunnan province, local authorities said.

The epicenter was monitored at 28.2 degrees north latitude and 99.4 degrees east longitude, in the area bordering the counties of Shangri-La, Deqen of Yunnan province and Derong county of Sichuan province, with a depth of about 10 kilometers, the center said.

The quake was felt strongly in the county seat of Deqen, said Liao Wencai, vice secretary of the Deqen County Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Benzilan township is believed to be the epicenter, according to local residents.

"We are heading to Benzilan. The telecommunication there has been cut off, and many residents cannot be reached by mobile phone," Liao said.

The quake and aftershocks triggered landslides, which blocked the traffic from Deqen to Benzilan, according to Atrong, deputy county head of Deqen. A resident from Benzilan told Xinhua on mobile phone that houses did not collapse, but the quake was felt strongly.

"We rushed outdoors hastily," the resident said.

Local authorities are investigating the losses and have sent tents, clothes, quilts, folding beds and mattresses to the disaster-hit area.

The quake also led to the power cut-off in Derong county of Sichuan province, but no casualties have been reported so far.

Early on Wednesday, a 5.1-magnitude quake hit the same border area, affecting more than 52,000 residents in Yunnan.

新聞快訊：

中國地震臺網(wǎng)正式測定：08月31日08時04分在云南省迪慶藏族自治州香格里拉縣、德欽縣、四川省甘孜藏族自治州得榮縣交界(北緯28.2度，東經(jīng)99.4度)發(fā)生5.9級地震，震源深度10千米。

據(jù)云南省迪慶州8·31抗震救災(zāi)指揮部消息，地震造成國道214線幸福村上橋頭村民小組附近落石，導致3輛旅游車被困，1輛旅游車被砸。目前，地震已造成4人遇難。另悉，受地震影響，德欽縣城全城停電。