A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck a remote area in China’s western Xinjiang region, resulting in at least three casualties and widespread damage amid freezing temperatures. The earthquake, deemed “very strong,” hit Uchturpan county in Aksu prefecture, triggering an urgent response from rescue teams, with approximately 1,000 personnel on-site by midday.
The China Earthquake Networks Center reported that the quake occurred shortly after 2 a.m., causing significant destruction. Despite the severity of the earthquake, officials attribute the relatively low death toll to the sparse population in the affected region.
Rescue crews, now numbering around 1,000, continue to search through rubble, and emergency survival gear, including coats and tents, has been dispatched to assist the thousands who have fled their homes. Zhang Yongjiu, the head of Xinjiang Earthquake Administration, highlighted the challenging conditions, noting that the quake’s epicenter was in a mountainous area at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above sea level.
The affected area is primarily inhabited by Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnicity that has been subject to forced assimilation and mass detention. The region, known for its heavy militarization, saw paramilitary troops swiftly moving in to aid in the rescue efforts.
Despite over 120 damaged buildings, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region government noted on Weibo that the new public housing, recently constructed by the government, remained intact, with most collapsed houses in remote areas built by residents.
Temperatures in the mountainous Uchturpan county are well below freezing, adding to the challenges faced by the affected population. The quake disrupted power lines, but prompt restoration efforts were undertaken. The Urumqi Railroad Bureau resumed services after safety checks, and the U.S. Geological Survey highlighted that the region’s largest quake in the past century, also magnitude 7.1, occurred in 1978, approximately 200 kilometers north of Tuesday’s epicenter.
Multiple aftershocks, including a 5.3 magnitude tremor, were recorded, causing tremors felt hundreds of kilometers away. The earthquake’s impact extended to neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, where classes were suspended to allow children to recover from the shock.
As the affected region grapples with the aftermath of this seismic event, rescue and recovery efforts continue, emphasizing the need for swift assistance and support.
