24 injured in Xinjiang quake
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 30, 2012
A 6.6-magnitude quake jolted northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early Saturday morning, toppling houses and injuring 24 people, according to the latest official account.
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An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale jolted the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at 5:07 a.m. Saturday (Beijing Time). Local residents ran up to the street for refuge. |
Strong tremors were felt widely in the region, including the regional capital of Urumqi, shaking residents out of their beds and causing temporary blackouts when the quake occurred at 5:07 a.m.
The epicenter was found to be in a mountainous area along the border of Hejing and Xinyuan counties, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
A large number of residential houses were toppled or damaged in Xinyuan County, and hundreds of cattle were killed after their sheds collapsed, said a statement from the government of Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, which administers Xinyuan.
The quake also triggered landslides and caused cave-ins on several national and regional highways in Xinjiang, bringing traffic to a halt.
The CENC has launched a level-three emergency response following the quake and local authorities have sent work teams and organized rescue efforts in affected areas.
Experts said the quake-hit region, located about 3,500 meters above sea level, was geologically active in history. Two earthquakes measuring more than 7 on the Richter scale have jolted the region since 1900.
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