The 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit near the border with Myanmar, the US Geological Survey said.

State media said the quake hit the area shortly before 1p.m. local time, cutting power and toppling buildings including hotels and schools.

China Central Television showed damaged buildings with debris and red lanterns lying around as police officers directed traffic on a chaotic street.

The epicenter was 2km (1.2 miles) away from the center of Yingjiang county, which has a population of more than 270,000 and is home to several of China's ethnic minorities.

The area has experienced minor quakes under 5.0 magnitude since the year began, according to the Xinhua news agency. As of March 10, the local seismological bureau had recorded more than 1,200 such tremors, Xinhua said.