At least 3 injured after M7.1 earthquake in China's Xinjiang

At least three people were injured after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake jolted Wushi County in Aksu Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at 2:09 a.m. on Tuesday.  

The epicenter, with a depth of 22 kilometers, was monitored at 41.26 degrees north latitude and 78.63 degrees east longitude, said the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

China's Ministry of Emergency Management has activated a level-3 emergency response and rushed rescue teams to the area.

A total of 1,000 cotton tents, 5,000 cotton coats (winter clothing), 5,000 cotton quilts, 5,000 cotton mattresses, 5,000 rollaway beds, and 1,000 heating stoves are allocated to local authorities to help with earthquake relief and the relocation and resettlement of the affected people.

The main quake was followed by a succession of aftershocks as strong as 5.3 in magnitude, according to the CENC.

Preliminary reports indicate that the epicenter was situated in a township in Wushi County within the mountainous border area between China and Kyrgyzstan.

According to the Xinjiang Earthquake Agency, the epicenter is approximately 50 km from the county seat of Wushi, with five villages located within a 20-kilometer radius around the epicenter.

As of 3 a.m. on Tuesday, two residential houses and livestock sheds had collapsed in the epicenter. Parts of the area experienced temporary disruption of electricity supply shortly after the quake, but the supply has been gradually restored.

The quakes were felt in various cities and prefectures across Xinjiang, including Urumqi, Hotan and Kashgar.

Following the earthquake, the Wushi County fire and rescue brigade promptly dispatched an advance team of 10 people to the epicenter area. Also, the Aksu Prefecture fire and rescue detachment mobilized 60 people to reach the epicenter.

A total of 182 vehicles, 800 people and 32 dogs have been put on stand-by, ready for the disaster relief mission, according to the Xinjiang regional fire and rescue department.

Tuesday's earthquake was the largest of the 293 that have hit Xinjiang in the past year. 

(With input from Xinhua)