A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck China’s Xinjiang province, causing numerous injuries and house collapses. The Delhi-NCR area felt the tremors.
After an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale struck China’s Southern Xinjiang region on Monday night, there were strong tremors felt in the Delhi-National Capital Region.
The National Center for Seismology reported, “Earthquake of Magnitude:7.2, Occurred on 22-01-2024, 23:39:11 IST, Lat: 40.96 & Long: 78.30, Depth: 80 Km, Location: Southern Xinjiang, China.”
Along the border between Xinjiang and Kyrgyzstan, several house collapses and multiple injuries were reported, according to officials. Following the earthquake, the Xinjiang railway department immediately halted operations and 27 trains.
Up to 14 aftershocks measuring 3.0 or higher were reportedly detected close to the epicentre, Wushi County, in northwest China, according to Chinese media. With a magnitude of 5.3, the biggest aftershock occurred roughly 17 kilometers from the epicentre.
According to Reuters news agency, which cited Chinese sources, Chinese authorities activated emergency response services and several departments coordinated relief efforts, providing cotton tents, coats, quilts, mattresses, folding beds, and heating stoves.
The same earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.7, was reported by Kazakhstan’s ministry of emergencies.
The largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty, saw residents flee their homes and congregate outside in spite of the cold; some were even dressed in pajamas and slippers.
About thirty minutes after the initial tremors, aftershocks were also felt in Uzbekistan. From Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, no reports of damages or injuries have been made.
