The area in Xinjiang that suffered the earthquake on Wednesday was hit by a snowstorm on Thursday.

A Xinhua reporter who reached Halajun Township, the nearest town to the epicenter of the 5.0-magnitude earthquake, which hit Artux City in northwest Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday, reported the heavy snowfalls.

Artux City, with a population of 484,300, was hit by the quake at about 5.30pm on Wednesday.

In Halajun 257 houses were damaged in the quake, leaving 5,780 people homeless. The victims have been temporarily sharing rooms in neighborhood houses.

Overnight sleet turned into a snowstorm Thursday morning, with drifts up to 40 centimeters deep. Sleet is forecast to continue into the evening.