A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has killed one person and slightly injured two others in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, authorities said Monday.
Authorities have recorded 10 aftershocks above the magnitude of 3, with the highest at 5.2, according to the regional publicity department.
The quake jolted Jiashi County in Kashgar Prefecture at 9:27 p.m. Sunday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicenter was monitored at 39.83 degrees north latitude and 77.21 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 16 km, the center said in a statement.
The tremor toppled four private stores and 1,084 meters of walls, and caused cracks in more than 1,000 houses and 5,574 meters of walls. It also damaged power lines and transportation facilities, the department said.
The regional authorities have launched an emergency response. Thousands of people and more than 500 vehicles have joined in the rescue work.
So far, rescuers have evacuated 4,827 people to temporary shelters. The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent 5,000 tents, 5,000 folding beds, 10,000 quilts and 20,000 cotton-padded coats to Xinjiang, while the regional government also sent 500 tents, 200 quilts, 2,000 folding beds and 2,000 cotton-padded mattresses.
