On Tuesday (Jan 23), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck the border region between China and Kyrgyzstan, resulting in at least three individuals sustaining injuries.
Following the earthquake, local authorities dispatched a team to the epicenter, situated in Xinjiang region in China, about 140 km west of Aksu. The quake, registered just after 2:00 am, had a depth of 13 km.
Reportedly, the earthquake caused the collapse of two residential houses and livestock sheds near the epicenter in rural Wushi County, leading to temporary disruptions in electricity. Three individuals in a nearby county sustained injuries and were subsequently hospitalized.
Video footage circulated on Chinese social media depicted the chaotic scene within homes, with household appliances crashing to the floor as structures shook violently. Additional footage from state broadcaster CCTV showcased firemen entering a damaged building, while police assisted an injured local resident.
New Delhi
In India’s capital, New Delhi, which is approximately 1,400 km away, local TV channels reported strong tremors. The earthquake prompted residents in Aksu to seek safety outdoors, braving frigid temperatures around -10 degrees Celsius.
Reports from Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, described people fleeing their homes to take refuge in the streets as walls shook and furniture shifted. However, in a video message, Bohobek Azhikeev, the head of the Kyrgyz Ministry for Emergency Situations, assured that Bishkek reported no casualties or damage.
The earthquake’s epicenter was near five villages within a 20 km radius, and the area recorded subsequent smaller earthquakes, reaching magnitudes as high as 5.5.
Kazakhstan also experienced tremors, but as of now, authorities have not confirmed any casualties or significant damage. In Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, citizens streamed outside following the earthquake.
This seismic event follows a recent landslide in southwest China, which buried dozens of people and resulted in at least eight fatalities. In December, another earthquake in northwest China’s Gansu province claimed 148 lives and displaced thousands. Subzero temperatures during the aftermath made the aid operation particularly challenging, with survivors resorting to outdoor fires for warmth.