A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in a remote part of western China’s Xinjiang region caused significant damage and at least three deaths, officials said on Tuesday, suggesting that the area’s sparse population contributed to the low death toll from the “very strong” quake.
The China Earthquake Network Centre said the quake struck in Uchturpan county of Aksu prefecture shortly after 2am. Rescue workers rushed to the scene, with about 1,000 on the scene by midday. By evening, authorities said three people had died and five were injured, two of them seriously, in the county, which is called Wushi in Mandarin.
Relief supplies, including mackintoshes and tents for thousands of people who fled their homes, have already been delivered or are on their way, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The epicentre of the quake was in a mountainous area about 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) above sea level, Zhang Yongjiu, head of the Xinjiang Earthquake Administration, told a news conference. Zhang stated:
“This 7.1 rating is very strong, but the death and injury situation is not severe.”
Among more than 120 damaged buildings, 47 houses collapsed, the government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said on its official Weibo social media page.
Most of the collapsed houses were in remote areas and were mostly built by residents, officials said. New public housing recently built by the government did not collapse.
In nearby Kazakhstan, at least 44 people were injured in the country’s largest city Almaty following the quake, authorities said Tuesday. The quake was also felt as far away as Uzbekistan, Reuters reported.
