A magnitude 6.1 earthquake damaged houses and killed at least one person in southwestern China on Wednesday, authorities and state media reported.

There were varying initial reports of casualties. State broadcaster CCTV said one person died and six others were injured, including one seriously, in Baoxing county in Sichuan province. Other state media said three people were seriously injured.

The quake struck at a depth of 17 kilometers (10 miles) in Lushan county, about 110 kilometers (65 miles) southwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, the China Earthquake Network Center said.

The Sichuan fire department said some houses were damaged and more than 1,400 rescuers were headed to the area. The Southwest Railway Authority said some sections of track were closed, causing delays to passenger trains.

China's deadliest earthquake in recent years was a 7.9 magnitude quake in 2008 that killed nearly 90,000 people in Sichuan.