Seventeen people have been confirmed injured after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday, the provincial authority revealed Thursday.

The quake struck Jinkouhe District in Leshan City at 1:21 p.m. Wednesday.

The epicenter was located at 29.3 degrees north latitude and 103.2 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 14 kilometers, said the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

About 32,000 people were affected and more than 33,000 houses were damaged, the local authority said. Traffic and telecommunications in the area have been restored.

Covering an area of 598 square-km in southwestern Sichuan, Jinkouhe District is home to about 60,000 people, including many of the Yi ethnic minority.
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Tremors were also felt in many other parts of Sichuan, including the provincial capital of Chengdu, as well as Ya'an, Yibin, Suining and Mount Emei, a famous tourist destination.