A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck along the border between China and Kyrgyzstan, with authorities warning of possible widespread damage.
According to state-run Xinhua News Agency, the China Earthquake Network Center announced that the earthquake occurred in Wushu County, Aksu Prefecture, just after 2 a.m. local time, and about 200 rescue workers were dispatched to the epicenter.
Six people were reportedly injured and more than 120 homes were damaged or destroyed in the freezing temperatures, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities.
Of the six injured, two had serious injuries and four had minor injuries. In addition, 47 houses were destroyed, 78 houses were damaged, and some agricultural buildings were destroyed, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region government posted on its official Weibo account.
According to a report from Aksu city authorities, the earthquake knocked out power lines, but electricity was quickly restored.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, there have been several aftershocks since the main shock, with the largest one measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale.
The earthquake occurred in a rural area primarily inhabited by Uyghurs, who have been the target of a state campaign of forced assimilation and mass detention in recent years.
China's National Fire and Rescue Administration posted a video on social media showing firefighters driving to the epicenter of the earthquake. A video posted by a Weibo user showed residents standing on the street wearing winter jackets, while a photo posted by state broadcaster CCTV showed debris from a cracked wall falling.
The tremor was felt as far away as neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In the Kazakh city of Almaty, people left their homes and took shelter on the streets after an earthquake shook walls and shifted furniture.
Local television stations in India's capital, New Delhi, reported strong tremors in the city, about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) away.
The U.S. Geological Survey earlier said there may have been casualties in the mountainous countryside where the quake occurred, but there were no immediate reports.
“Significant damage is likely to occur and the disaster could be widespread,” the report said.
Takeki Prefecture, the epicenter of the earthquake, recorded temperatures well below freezing. Parts of northern and central China were shivered by frigid temperatures this winter, with authorities closing schools and highways several times due to snowstorms.
Tuesday's earthquake occurred a day after a landslide buried dozens of people and killed at least eight people in southwestern China.
An earthquake that struck the country's northwest in December killed 148 people and displaced thousands in Gansu province.
The earthquake was China's deadliest since 2014, when more than 600 people were killed in southwestern Yunnan province.
Relief efforts launched in response to the December earthquake were further complicated by freezing temperatures, with survivors huddled around outdoor fires to keep warm.
Co-authored with Associated Press
