Earthquake strikes Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang Region, China; no casualties reported

Thursday, February 2, 2023

ShakeMap of the earthquake.
Image: United States Geological Survey.

Residents were forced to evacuate Monday after a strong earthquake rocked Shaya County, Aksu Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang region at 07:49.

Neither casualties or property damage were reported after the quake, initially assessed with magnitude 6.1, nor major damage or disruption to the region's power or fossil fuel production, according to Chinese state media.

The United States Geological Survey says the earthquake registered magnitude 5.7 with 'VI' intensity around its epicenter, 110 kilometers (68 mi) southeast of Aral.

In 2008, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake killed nearly 90,000 in China's Sichuan province, south of Xinjiang. The area is among China's most tectonically active, but is generally sparsely-populated.


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