Bejing: Strong tremors were felt in the Delhi-National Capital Region after an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude on the Richter scale struck the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border region in China on Monday night.
People in many residential areas of north India were seen moving out of their houses for safety after the quake shook high rises.
National Center for Seismology said that the earthquake’s epicentre was in the Xinjiang region of China and it originated at a depth of 80 km.
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 for more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/FYt0ly86HX@KirenRijiju @Ravi_MoES @Dr_Mishra1966 @ndmaindia @Indiametdept pic.twitter.com/E184snmSyH
— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) January 22, 2024
The US Geological Survey, which estimated the intensity of the quake at 7 on the Richter Scale, said that it occurred 129 km west by nortthwest of China‘s Aykol, and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, Tajikstan, and Kazakhstan were also impacted.
According to the China Earthquake Administration, the epicentre of the quake struck at 2:09 a.m. (1809 GMT) and at a depth of 22 km (13 miles) in the mountainous border area of Wushi County in northwest China’s Xinjiang region. The epicentre was about 50 km (31 miles) from Wushi, with five villages located within a 20-km (12 miles) radius around the epicentre, Xinhua News reported.
Six people have been reported injured as some houses collapsed along the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border. The Xinjiang railway department immediately stopped operations and 27 trains were reportedly affected by the earthquake. Dozens of aftershocks were registered on Tuesday, with the biggest measured at magnitude 5.3, about 17 km away from the epicentre.
China’s Earthquake Administration immediately activated emergency response services in conjunction with the Office of the Earthquake Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management, dispatching a group to guide local rescue efforts, Reuters reported.
