The earthquake, measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, struck the poverty stricken Zhaotong region in the early Saturday morning -- the third such quake in the area this year.

Over 600 homes collapsed in the tremblor, and another 98,700 damaged, forcing some 99,000 to seek temporary lodgings, Xinhua news agency said.

Of the injured 14 were in critical condition, it said. Xinhua earlier reported five dead in the quake, but attributed the revision to a duplicate counting.

The epicentre of the quake was located 255 kilometres (158 miles) north of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, the National Seismology Bureau said Saturday.

Rescue and relief operations have begun at the provincial level, the report said.

In October, a quake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit another part of Yunnan, killing three and affecting 189,000 residents in Dayao district, northwest of Kunming.

In July, a quake measuring 6.2 on the Ricter scale killed 16 in the earthquake prone region in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.

On Thursday, a quake hit China's northeastern province of Gansu, leaving one dead and 126 injured.

TERRA.WIRE