A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck early Tuesday along the China-Kyrgyzstan border, killing three people and injuring five others.
China’s earthquake agency says the quake struck at 1800 UTC in the mountainous border area of Wushi County in the remote province of Xinjiang, at a depth of 22 kilometers.
At least five villages are located within 20 kilometers of the epicenter. The earthquake was felt in Urumqi, Kashgar, Korla and Yining, as well as surrounding areas.
According to a post on the official social media account of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Weibo, 47 houses in the region collapsed and more than 120 buildings were damaged. State media reports say more than 12,400 people have been rescued and evacuated.
Multiple aftershocks have been felt since the initial quake.
The quake was also felt in the city of Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan. Video posted on social media depicted residents quickly abandoning their homes and standing in the streets, some in pajamas and slippers.
The earthquake was also felt in neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
This is one of multiple earthquakes that have hit the region since early Tuesday. In Kazakhstan, their last earthquake had a 6.7 magnitude.
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
