云南地震救援工作进行中

Rescue and relief efforts are continuing in southwestern China's Yunnan province after a strong earthquake killed at least one person and injured hundreds more.

The shallow 6.6 magnitude tremor hit Jinggu County on Tuesday night and affected over 120-thousand residents.

Some seven thousand houses were leveled by the quake with nearly 60-thousand local residents being relocated to safe places.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for all-out efforts to rescue survivors and treat the injured.

Some 3-thousand rescuers have been deployed to the region to help with the rescue and relief efforts.

Fu Hong is a researcher with the earthquake research and forecast center of Yunnan province.

"According to our analysis, over the next three days those in the quake zone should be aware of the likelihood of a 5-to-6-magnitude aftershock. So residents in the quake zone should be braced for any possible contingencies."

So far 285 aftershocks have been recorded in the quake zone.

Meanwhile, local authorities are worried that the tremors may have cracked a dam at the Changhai Reservoir, 10 kilometers upstream of the epicenter.

Local water resources departments are urged to take emergency measures to eliminate the possible risk.

Jinggu County, with a population of some 300-thousand, lies about 460 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital Kunming.

Tuesday's tremor was the second strong quake to hit Yunnan province in two months.

Yunnan is prone to earthquakes as it sits at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.