A moderate earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale hit China's southwestern province of Yunnan overnight, killing 13 people and injuring more than 200, local officials said on Tuesday.

Chinadaily.com.cn graphic by Zhou Su

The tremor struck at 11:16 p.m. (1516 GMT) on Monday in Dayao county, an area populated by the Yi ethnic minority group, they said. It seriously injured 23 people.

"Lots of houses fell down and those 12 people were killed after the houses collapsed," an official at the county's relief headquarters said.

"Some villages are cut off from communications, and we have to sent people down there to investigate losses," he said, adding that tents would be provided for temporary shelter.

Another seismological official said frequent rain in the area over the past few days had made the houses more susceptible to the tremor.

In early July, a 6.1 magnitude quake rattled the mountainous Tibet region with no casualties.

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