7.1-magnitude earthquake rattles part of western China, injuring 6 people and collapsing 47 homes

A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the sparsely populated Xinjiang region in western China early Tuesday, causing injuries and damaging or collapsing over 120 homes in freezing conditions, according to authorities. The quake occurred in Uchturpan county, also known as Wushi county in Mandarin, in Aksu prefecture shortly after 2 a.m., as reported by the China Earthquake Networks Center. Approximately 200 rescuers were dispatched to the epicentre.

Six people were injured in the quake, with two sustaining serious injuries and four minor injuries. In addition, 47 houses collapsed, 78 were damaged, and some agricultural structures also collapsed, according to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region government's official Weibo account. Although power lines were downed, electricity was quickly restored, as reported by Aksu authorities.

Urumqi Railroad Bureau resumed services after 7 a.m. following safety checks confirming no problems on the train lines. The suspension had impacted 23 trains, according to the Xinjiang capital's bureau.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake measured 7.0 magnitude and occurred in the seismically active Tian Shan mountain range. It mentioned that the area's largest quake in the past century was a 7.1 magnitude event in 1978, approximately 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of the recent earthquake.

Several aftershocks were recorded, with the strongest registering at 5.3 magnitude.

The rural area affected is predominantly populated by Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group that is predominantly Muslim and has faced a state campaign of forced assimilation and mass detention.

पश्चिमी चीन के कुछ हिस्सों में 7.1 तीव्रता का भूकंप आया, जिसमें 6 लोग घायल हो गए और 47 घर ढह गए।