People receive treatment after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit Yingjiang county in Southwest China's Yunnan province March 10, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - At least 25 people were killed and 250 others injured after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Yingjiang county in Southwest China's Yunnan province, according to the county government.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10 kilometers, was monitored at 24.7 degrees north latitude and 97.9 degrees east longitude, China Earthquake Networks Center.

The quake which happened at 12:58 am Beijing Time, caused heavy damage in Yingjiang as the epicenter is only about three kilometers away from the county. Adjacent counties including Longchuan, Lianghe, and Tengchong also felt the tremblor.

China Earthquake Administration has sent experts to the quake-hit region to offer expertise and direct relevant work, the administration said Thursday in a statement on its website.

The agency initiated a grade III emergency response after the quake and dispatched a team of experts to the quake zone, headed by an official with the administration's emergency relief bureau.

The provincial earthquake bureau in Yunnan also sent two teams to the region to collect information about the quake and conduct on-site monitoring, it said.

People check damages after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit Yingjiang county in Southwest China's Yunnan province March 10, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]