- In Wushi county (Uqturpan) in Aksu prefecture an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.1 struck.
- The Xinjiang railway authorities shut down 27 trains and blocked off routes in the impacted districts right away.
- Hundreds more rescue workers are being assembled, and about 200 have already been sent to the earthquake zone.
In Wushi county, also called Uqturpan county, in Aksu prefecture, close to the Chinese border with Kyrgyzstan, an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.1 struck.
Although power was promptly restored, the earthquake near the epicenter resulted in the collapse of two houses and the downing of two significant power lines. The Xinjiang railway authorities shut down 27 trains and blocked off routes in the impacted districts right away.
Strong Earthquake
In a township, 26 kilometers from the epicenter, three individuals were admitted to the hospital, and a toddler was pulled from the wreckage of their home. Hundreds more rescue workers are being assembled, and about 200 have already been sent to the earthquake zone. As of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, more than 50 aftershocks stronger than a magnitude 3 had been recorded.
The epicenter of the earthquake is located above 3,000 meters in a remote, mountainous, and sparsely populated area. Cities hundreds of kilometers away, such as the southern Xinjiang oasis of Kashgar and Hotan along the Silk Road, experienced strong earthquakes.
Videos of people seeking cover outside in the streets and lights swinging and smashing onto the ground are being shared by people living in Xinjiang on Chinese social media.
There were tremors in Kyrgyzstan, too, across the border. Despite the cold, people in Almaty, the capital and largest city of Kazakhstan, left their houses and gathered outside. As far away as Uzbekistan, the earthquake was also felt.
