Beijing [China], January 23: A 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in the border area between China and Kyrgyzstan, shaking many areas throughout the Xinjiang autonomous region.
Xinhua news agency reported that a 7.1 magnitude earthquake shook the Aksu area in China's Xinjiang autonomous region at 2:09 a.m. on January 23 (local time).
The China Earthquake Network Center (CENC) said the earthquake had an epicenter 22 km deep, resulting in many aftershocks of up to 5.3 on the Richter scale. Preliminary information said the epicenter was located in Wushi district in the mountains near the Kyrgyzstan border.
The Xinjiang Earthquake Authority said the epicenter was about 50 km from the center of Wushi and there were five villages within a 20 km radius around the earthquake location.
There were 2 houses and livestock barns collapsed in the epicenter area, while there were no reports of casualties. Many areas suffered temporary power outages immediately after the earthquake but were gradually restored.
The earthquake shook the Aksu area. A resident surnamed Luu said that many people panicked and ran to the open area even though the temperature was minus 10 degrees Celsius.
The earthquake caused shaking in many areas across Xinjiang, including the capital Urumqi, which recorded shaking up to the 17th floor of buildings.
After the earthquake , fire and rescue forces quickly dispatched forces to the epicenter area. In addition, there are 182 vehicles, 800 people and 32 rescue dogs ready to be deployed.
In another development, local officials in Yunnan province (China) said the number of people killed in a landslide in a mountain village had increased to 11.
The landslide occurred in the Zhaotong area of Yunnan at around 6:00 a.m. on January 22, with 47 people missing. More than 1,000 rescue workers are searching for victims. Initial investigation showed that the landslide occurred in a steep area, with a land mass about 100 m wide and 60 m high, with an average thickness of 6 m.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
