The death toll rose to 80 Saturday as rescuers struggled to reach isolated areas in south-western China after two earthquakes that injured more than 700 people, dpa reported.
The quakes that struck within an hour destroyed at least 1,900 houses and seriously damaged 37,000 others in Yiliang county and nearby areas, officials said.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated from the mountainous area of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.
The quakes damaged telephone lines and roads, hampering efforts to reach some areas and gather information about victims, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said.