RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has expressed solidarity with China after an earthquake in Sichuan province caused scores to die, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday

The Saudi foreign ministry offered condolences to the Chinese people, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck China’s Sichuan province on Monday, the strongest to hit the region since 2017, killing more than 40 people and shaking the provincial capital of Chengdu and more distant provinces.

Forty-six people were killed in the quake, Chinese state media Xinhua reported on Tuesday, citing local authorities at a press briefing.

Some roads and homes near the epicentre were damaged by landslides, while communications were down in at least one area, state television reported.