Rescuers check for safety hazards in Jiashi County in Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Monday.
Rescuers check for safety hazards in Jiashi County in Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Monday.
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has killed one person and slightly injured two others in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, authorities said on 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 in the province's southwest at 9:27pm on Sunday, 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 kilometers, 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 transport facilities. Regional authorities have launched an emergency response. Thousands of people and more than 500 vehicles have joined in the rescue work.

The central government has offered financial support worth 30 million yuan (US$4.37 million) for quake relief. 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. And the regional government sent 500 tents, 200 quilts, 2,000 folding beds and 2,000 cotton-padded mattresses.

The area borders Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Source: Xinhua