An official in southwestern China says a powerful earthquake near a popular national park has killed five tourists and injured 63 other people.

A man surnamed Song who answered the phone at a local emergency office in Aba prefecture, where the Jiuzhaigou (Jee-oh Jai GO) national park, is located said the town of Zhangzha reported the casualties from Tuesday evening's quake.

The magnitude 6.5 quake struck a region bordered by the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu at a depth of just 9 kilometers (5.5 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.

The China Earthquake Networks Center measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.0 and said it struck at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles). The quake occurred at about 9:20 p.m. near Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations, the Chinese agency said.