Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- A strong earthquake struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Saturday , killing at least 179 people and injuring about 6,700 others in a region that suffered a catastrophic quake five years ago , the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday . Thousands of emergency workers , including soldiers , rushed to reach the affected zones in the hilly region , and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang traveled to the area from Beijing , state media reported . Xu Mengjia , the Communist Party chief of Ya'an , the city that administers the area where the quake struck , told state broadcaster CCTV that because of landslides and disruption to communications , determining the total number of casualties may take some time . Students gather outside to escape the quake . The quake struck just after 8 a.m. local time Saturday , about 115 kilometers ( 70 miles ) away from the provincial capital , Chengdu , at a depth of around 12 kilometers , according to the U.S. Geological Survey . There was conflicting information about the earthquake 's strength , with the USGS putting the magnitude at 6.6 and the China Earthquake Networks Center gauging it at 7.0 . It was followed by a series of aftershocks , some of them as strong as magnitude 5.1 , the USGS said . Authorities have responded by sending rescue workers to the area around the epicenter , briefly halting flights at the airport in Chengdu and suspending high-speed rail operations , state media reported . The event stirred memories of the devastating earthquake that hit Sichuan in 2008 , killing more than 87,000 people . First responders to Saturday 's quake reported that the damage caused did n't appear to be as severe as what was seen in the aftermath of the 2008 disaster , according to CCTV . Fan Xiaodong , a student in Chengdu , said when the tremors began to shake buildings in the city , many of his startled classmates rushed out of their dorms , some of them wearing only the clothes they 'd been sleeping in . At first , Fan said , he only felt a slight trembling as he dozed in bed . `` I thought it was my roommates shaking the bed , '' he said . `` But the shock became stronger soon , and it came to me that an earthquake happened . '' The epicenter was in Lushan country , a district of Ya'an . That area is home to China 's famous giant pandas and houses the country 's biggest panda research center . CCTV reported that the pandas at the facility , which is about 40 kilometers ( about 25 miles ) from the epicenter , were safe . Residents of Chongqing , a sprawling metropolis more than 300 kilometers ( about 190 miles ) from Ya'an , said the quake also shook buildings there . Are you there ? Send your iReports . CNN 's Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong , and Steven Jiang reported from Beijing . CNN 's Feng Ke in Beijing and Henry Hanks in Atlanta contributed to this report .
NEW : The death toll rises to at least 179 , authorities say . About 6,700 people are reported to have been injured . Comment: The quake struck about 70 miles from the city of Chengdu in Sichuan .