KUNMING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least two people are dead and one injured after an earthquake measuring 5.1 degrees on the Richter scale jolted Yanjin County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, at 1:51 p.m Friday.

Yunnan Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau has sent officials and earthquake experts to direct relief efforts in quake-hit areas.

Yin Liyuan, vice director of the bureau, said 400 tents were already on the way to the quake-hit areas.

Vice governor Kong Chuizhu urged local departments to assess the situation in affected areas and evacuate people to safe places.

Damage to homes and economic loss are being calculated.

The epicenter of the quake was located at 28 degrees north and 104.2 degrees east in the Township of Dousha, 570 kilometers from Kunming, the provincial capital.

A Xinhua correspondent in Chengdu, capital of neighboring Sichuan Province, said he felt the quake.

Cheng Lianyuan, CPC secretary of Yanjin County committee, said the township was 26 kilometers from the county, adding, "The quake was strongly felt in the county.

"Some big rocks from the mountains rolled down and destroyed many parts of the road between the township and the county," said Cheng.

The working team from Yanjin was struck on the damaged road, which was being repaired by at least 50 workers.

Yet Zhang Yan, head of the county's publications department, had already visited the township.

"Quite a number of homes in Dousha Township were dilapidated and the streets were littered with tiles and bricks. Many residents stayed outdoors for fear of the aftershocks," she said.

Officials of the township were investigating casualties and losses caused by the quake in the villages, Zhang said.

The earthquake was also strongly felt in the neighboring county of Daguan, 40 kilometers away from the epicenter.

Zheng Yi, head of the county, said they were counting casualties and losses.

Yanjin County is located on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and has a population of 350,000.

An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale hit Yanjin and neighboring Daguan county on July 22, killing 22 and injuring 106 people.

The quake toppled more than 1,400 houses and damaged 38,000 others in 13 townships of the county as most houses in Yanjin are built on hillside and therefore vulnerable to earthquakes.

Yanjin is located on an earthquake belt, where at least nine major quakes were recorded, the strongest of which was measured at7.1 on the Richter scale.