6.4-magnitude quake kills 3 people in China's Xinjiang
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale has rocked China's far western region of Xinjiang, killing at least three people and injuring over a dozen others.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the tremor occurred early on Friday and was centered in Pishan County, 164 kilometers (102 miles) northwest of the city of Hotan and 131 kilometers southeast of Shache, known as Yarkand in Uighur language.
The USGS measured the quake at a depth of 20 kilometers, saying that several aftershocks followed with the strongest measuring 4.8 magnitude.
The quake was initially reported at various magnitudes up to 6.5.
Although the USGS said the location of the tremor was the edge of the vast and uninhabited region of Taklamakan, Chinese officials said three people had died in Pishan, which has a population of 258,000, mainly Muslim minority Uighurs.
“Currently, the earthquake has resulted in three deaths, including a father and son, and more than 20 injuries,” China's National Emergency Broadcasting (CNEB) said on its website.
Residents of the region voiced shock at the intensity of the tremor on social media, but authorities said they were optimistic the number of casualties would not be high.
“If many people are gathered in one place during an earthquake, it can lead to a serious disaster, but in this case, there were relatively few people so it isn't so serious,” Sun Shihong, a researcher at China Earthquake Networks Center, told the state broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV).
China is frequently struck by earthquakes, particularly in its southwestern provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan.
In May 2008, more than 80,000 people were killed after a 7.9 magnitude temblor, the worst earthquake in more than three decades, rocked Sichuan.
Also in August 2014, a 6.1-magnitude quake hit Yunnan, killing more than 600 people.
YH/GHN/HMV
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