China earthquake map May 11 2017
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A moderate, shallow earthquake in northwest China has claimed the lives of at least eight people and injured dozens more after almost 200 homes in the area reportedly collapsed.

At least 8 people were killed and over 20 injured after a 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taxkorgan County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at 5:58am Thursday, the region's earthquake administration said.

The quake, in a remote mountainous area that borders Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, struck at a depth of 10 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.

The shallow quake, known to cause greater shaking at the surface inflicted a lot of damage.

More than 180 houses collapsed and 789 people were affected, the Xinjiang Uyghur seismological center announced.


Rescue workers are continuing to search through the rubble after the country's Earthquake Administration activated the Level 3 emergency response. A special earthquake emergency response team has been dispatched to Xinjiang to assist the local government in their search and rescue operations.