An earthquake Monday in southwestern China killed at least 21 people, Chinese state media said.

The magnitude 6.8 quake hit around midday in Sichuan province, an area where earthquakes regularly occur.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the earthquake triggered landslides, damaged homes and interrupted power.

The quake was felt in the provincial capital, Chengdu, located 200 kilometers from the epicenter.

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Sichuan in 2008 killed tens of thousands of people.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.