China says the death toll from a strong earthquake in the southwest of the country in Yunnan province has risen to 367.  The magnitude 6.1 temblor toppled thousands of homes and left more than 1,800 people injured in the densely populated mountainous area around Zhaotung.

The shaking started on Sunday afternoon and was caught on security videos, showing people running outside to safety.  But many of the homes that collapsed were old, and made of mud and bricks that hardly stacked up to modern earthquake safety standards.  People were crushed under timber roofs coming down on them, or by collapsing brick walls. electricity and telecommunications were cut off in the region.

 “The aftermath is much, much worse than what happened after the quake two years ago,” said Ma Liya, a resident of Zhaotong.  “I have never felt such strong tremors before.  What I can see are all ruins.”

China’s Red Cross and People’s Army are bringing relief into the area.  The United Nations is offering to help.  The numbers of dead and injured are bound to go up as rescuers fan out of the bigger towns and make it into the remote villages.