6.0 magnitude earthquake jolts China's Xinjiang
Beijing, Jan 19: A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit a remote area of northwest China's Xinjiang region late Sunday, the US Geological Survey said.
The shallow quake struck at 9:27 pm (local time) around 100 kilometres (60 miles) east-northeast of the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar.
In its initial assessment, the USGS said there was a low likelihood of casualties. It said however that significant damage was likely, with many buildings in the region built from mud bricks or cinder block masonry.
The
area
near
the
quake's
epicentre
is
sparsely
populated
mountain
and
desert
terrain.
China
is
regularly
hit
by
earthquakes,
especially
in
its
mountainous
western
and
southwestern
regions.
6.4 magnitude of earthquake strikes Puerto Rico amid heavy seismic activity
In February 2003 a powerful 6.8-magnitude quake killed 268 people in Xinjiang and caused significant damage.