The autonomous region of China felt tremors on 24th November evening. On Friday at 10:24 P.M., an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 jolted Akto City, Kizilsu Kirghiz prefecture in Xinjiang, Uygur autonomous region. This is the fourth earthquake of such high magnitude to be felt. The China Earthquake Networks Center released a statement that the epicenter is located at 39.27 degrees North latitude and 74.04 degrees East longitude. The quake originated at a depth of 10 km. Tremors of high intensity were felt even in Kashgar Prefecture. Railway lines in southern Xinjiang have been closed for a short period of time indefinitely.
1 person confirmed dead after 6.7-magnitude earthquake jolts Akto County, Xinjiang. Search and rescue underway pic.twitter.com/4HN6HxJoO1
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) November 26, 2016
The Akto county stated that the epicenter was in cold highland areas that are sparsely populated, hence less casualties. The officials reached village closest to the epicentre which provides residence to around 80 families. There has been damage reported to houses and dead livestock, but there was no loss of human life reported.
Scenes from epicenter: Houses collapse after 6.7-magnitude quake jolts Akto County in northwest China’s Xinjiang https://t.co/Pa2rVbsAes pic.twitter.com/KOUNBX7J85
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) November 26, 2016
The Chinese Earthquake Administration activated level- III emergency response to the quake and sent a team to the quake affected area. The regional seismological bureau was the next immediate organization to this earthquake. Statistics show that around 83 magnitudes 4 earthquakes have occurred within 200 km of the epicenter in the past five years, with the largest recorded on December 7, 2015, when a magnitude 7.4 quake shook Tajikistan.
