The quake struck at 7.19 p.m., at a depth of about 10 km, with the epicentre in the county's Guantun township, about 200 km from the provincial city of Kunming.

'I was harvesting tobacco leaves in the farm when the quake hit. I felt dizzy and saw villagers falling over and many houses collapsed,' said Dong Zhaofu, a farmer at Guantun village in Yao'an county.

Dong Zhihui, another villager, said his daughter was hit by falling rocks and broke her foot.

Strong tremors were felt in Chuxiong, Lijiang City, Kunming and Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.

Eight aftershocks measuring 3 to 4.1 on the Richter scale were felt. Three centred in Yao'an and the other five in the neighbouring Dayao county.

Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong ordered 20 million yuan for disaster relief.

The civil affairs department of Yunnan Province allocated 4,500 tents, 3,000 quilts and other relief materials to Yao'an county.