As of 10:55 pm local time on May 21, one person was killed and three others were buried in debris, following the 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Yangbi Yi Autonomous County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Yunnan Earthquake Bureau said.

Other reports of casualties and damage are being verified.

A team of 15 firefighters in three vehicles have been deployed to the quake's epicenter by the Yangbi fire rescue brigade with a search and rescue plan already underway.

Meanwhile, a further 170 rescuers, nine search and rescue dogs and 35 vehicles have been mobilized for the rescue mission.

Authorities say road collapses and landslides from the earthquake has cut some transportation lines into the epicenter, but electricity, telephone and internet are still working. Several buildings have collapsed, causing casualties.

Rescuers from nearby Chuxiong, Yuxi, Baoshan, Nujiang, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna are also on the way to the epicenter.