Strong quake in western China's Qinghai kills 67

AP

BEIJING – Chinese authorities say a strong earthquake in a western province has killed at least 67 people. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured a magnitude of 6.9.

The China Earthquake Administration announced the initial death toll in a brief statement on its Web site, saying that Wednesday's quake had caused many houses to collapse.

Rescue efforts were hindered by telecommunications problems, with phone lines down