According to preliminary information, at least 14 people were killed and 135 others injured in an earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale that on Thursday struck an area in southwestern China, near the border with Myanmar, the AP news agency reported, citing an unnamed source.

"Many houses" collapsed in the quake, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing local authorities, who are still trying to determine the number of casualties.

In May 2008, a strong earthquake hit the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, leaving nearly 87,000 people dead or missing, the AFP news agency reported.

The latest earthquake struck at a depth of 34 kilometres around 1 pm (local time), and its epicenter was located about 225 kilometres southwest of the city of Dali in Yunnan province, the US Geological Survey reported.