Chinese state media reported a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border region – a sparsely populated part of China’s western Xinjiang region – on January 23 with reports of injuring just six people in freezing cold weather, authorities said, adding, over 120 buildings damaged, 47 houses collapsed, 78 houses were damaged and some greenhouses were reduced to plastic sheets and rubble
According to the China Earthquake Administration, the quake’s epicentre is at a depth of 22 km in the mountainous border area of Wushi County in northwest China’s Xinjiang region. It rocked Uchturpan county in Aksu prefecture shortly after 2 a.m., the China Earthquake Networks Center said.
However, the Xinjiang Earthquake Agency said the epicentre is about 50 km from Wushi, with five villages within a 20 km radius around the epicentre, Xinhua News reported.
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As of 8 a.m. (0000 GMT), 40 aftershocks have been recorded, according to China Earthquake Networks Centre, quoted in Hindustan Times.
On its official Weibo social media account, the government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region posted that of the six people hurt, only two had serious injuries. Among the more than 120 buildings damaged, 47 houses collapsed, 78 houses were damaged and some greenhouses were reduced to plastic sheets and rubble.
The earthquake was felt strongly in Urumqi, Korla, Kashgar, Yining, and surrounding areas, according to netizens on China’s Weibo social media platform. Following the earthquake, the Xinjiang railway department immediately stopped operations and 27 trains were reportedly affected by the earthquake, Xinhua said.
The quake downed power lines but electricity was quickly restored, Aksu authorities reported. Mountainous Uchturpan county had around 233,000 people in 2022, according to Xinjiang authorities.
Immediately after the tremors, emergency response services were activated by China’s Earthquake Administration in conjunction with the Office of the Earthquake Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management. They also dispatched a group to guide local rescue efforts.
Several departments coordinated relief efforts, providing cotton tents, coats, quilts, mattresses, folding beds, and heating stoves, Xinhua quoted China’s Ministry of Emergency Management as saying. Xinjiang has been struck by a few sizeable earthquakes over the past 24 hours.
The emergency ministry reported the latest earthquake at a magnitude of 6.7 in nearby Kazakhstan. People fled their houses and gathered outside despite the cold weather, some dressed in pyjamas and slippers in Kazakhstan’s biggest city, Almaty. No damage has been reported.
The tremors, followed by aftershocks about 30 minutes later, were also felt in Uzbekistan.
With agency inputs.
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Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
