A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit China's southwestern province of Sichuan on Monday, killing at least 46 people and leaving 16 more missings. The quake triggered landslides and shook buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu, whose 21 million citizens are already under a COVID-19 lockdown.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the tremor struck a mountainous region in Luding county shortly before midday.

Sichuan, situated near the intersection of tectonic plates at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, is frequently struck by earthquakes. At least two earthquakes killed at least four individuals in June.

In the historic town of Moxi in the Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Garze, 29 people were killed, power was knocked out, and structures were damaged. On Tuesday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported erecting tents for more than 50,000 residents displaced from hazardous homes by the earthquake.

CCTV footage from a state-run broadcaster showed rescue crews removing a woman who appeared uninjured from a collapsed home in Moxi, where many structures are made of wood and brick. There were approximately 150 people reported with injuries of different severity.

Earlier, authorities recorded seven deaths in the county of Luding and 14 in the adjoining county of Shimian to the south. Three of the deceased were employees of the Hailuogou Scenic Area, a glacier and forest reserve.

CCTV stated that authorities also reported stones and soil falling from steep slopes, causing damage to residences and power outages. The Ministry of Emergency Management said one landslide obstructed a rural highway, leaving it littered with rocks.

Chengdu, located 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the earthquake, experienced building tremors. Jiang Danli said she hid under a desk for five minutes in her flat on the 31st floor. Numerous of her neighbors hurried downstairs, fearing aftershocks.

"There was a powerful earthquake in June, although it wasn't frightening. This time I was terrified since I live on a high floor, and the shaking made me feel dizzy, she told the Associated Press.

Due to Sichuan's dependency on hydropower, the hot wave and drought that preceded the earthquake and shutdown caused water shortages and power outages. This is in addition to the most recent big shutdown imposed by China's rigorous "zero-COVID" policy.

Jiang stated that the past two months in Chengdu "have been strange."

The United States Geological Survey measured Monday's earthquake to have a magnitude of 6.6 and a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). Various agencies' first measurements frequently disagree somewhat.

In 2008, a 7.9 magnitude quake in Sichuan killed approximately 90,000 people and was the deadliest earthquake in China. The quake destroyed towns, schools, and rural communities outside of Chengdu, necessitating a multi-year effort to rebuild with more durable materials.