BEIJING - NINE people were injured, two of them seriously, when an earthquake struck southwest China near the border with Myanmar early on Friday, state media reported.

The 4.9-magnitude quake struck at about 2020 GMT on Thursday (4.20am on Friday, Singapore time) near the city of Ruili in Yunnan province, the Xinhua news agency said.

The city's Party chief Yang Yueguo told Xinhua two villagers were seriously injured while the other seven suffered slight injuries. -- AFP