In a seismic incident that reverberated across the region, a powerful earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck China’s Southern Xinjiang region late on Monday night.
The National Center for Seismology reported the earthquake occurring at 23:39:11 IST, pinpointing its epicenter in Southern Xinjiang, China, at a depth of 80 kilometers.
The tremors were strongly felt in the Delhi-National Capital Region, prompting residents to seek safety. The aftermath of the earthquake has led to several reported injuries, and there are indications that some houses along the China-Kyrgyzstan border have collapsed.
In response to the seismic event, the Xinjiang railway department took swift action, suspending operations and halting 27 trains.
Chinese media disclosed that the epicenter, located in Wushi County, experienced as many as 14 aftershocks, with the largest recorded at a magnitude of 5.3 and situated approximately 17 kilometers away.
The impact of the quake extended beyond the immediate vicinity, with authorities in Kyrgyzstan reporting injuries on their side of the border.
As the clock struck 2:00 am in China’s Xinjiang region, a 7.0-magnitude aftershock hit the mountainous China-Kyrgyzstan border.
The quake resulted in significant damage, including the collapse of two residential houses and livestock sheds in rural Wushi County. At least three people have been reported injured, leading authorities to dispatch a disaster relief team to the affected areas.
Videos circulating on social media captured the chaos as household appliances crashed to the floor, and citizens fled their homes for safety.
In Aksu, a resident described the intense shaking that forced people to seek refuge despite freezing temperatures. Reports from Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, confirmed the earthquake’s impact, causing walls to shake and furniture to shift.
While no casualties or damage have been reported in Bishkek, neighboring villages in China and Kazakhstan felt the tremors.
Following the initial earthquake, a series of small aftershocks, some with magnitudes as high as 5.5, continued to rattle the region. In Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, citizens streamed outside as a precautionary measure.
This seismic event occurred just a day after a devastating landslide in southwest China claimed lives and buried dozens of people. The region is still grappling with the aftermath of a December earthquake in northwest China, which resulted in casualties and displaced thousands.
