A 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked Wushi County in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early Tuesday, sending shockwaves across cities hundreds of kilometers away. The tremor struck at 2:09 a.m. local time near the mountainous border with Kyrgyzstan, triggering aftershocks as strong as 5.3 magnitude.
Residents Feel the Shake 🔥
Residents in Urumqi, over 1,000 km from the epicenter, reported swaying buildings—including on the 17th floor of high-rises. While two homes and livestock sheds collapsed near the epicenter, no casualties have been reported. Temporary power outages occurred but were swiftly resolved.
Rapid Response Activated 🚒
Over 800 emergency responders, 182 vehicles, and 32 search dogs were mobilized within hours. Firefighters from Aksu Prefecture raced to the affected villages, with relief teams on standby. Authorities continue to assess damage in the sparsely populated region.
Local seismologists note the quake’s epicenter was 22 km deep, approximately 50 km from Wushi’s main urban area. The Xinjiang Earthquake Agency confirmed five villages lie within a 20-km radius of the impact zone.
