7.1 magnitude earthquake in China kills 3 people

Local officials say the sparse population in the area has contributed to the low death toll from the “very strong” earthquake.

The quake struck Uchturpan county in Aksu city shortly after 2 a.m., the China Earthquake Networks Center said. Rescue teams of about 1,000 people rushed to the area by midday. By evening, authorities said three people had died and five were injured, including two seriously, in Wushi county.

Zhang Yongjiu, head of the Xinjiang Earthquake Administration, said at a news conference that the epicenter of the earthquake was in a mountainous area about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above sea level.

Elderly men rest at a school dormitory used as a shelter for displaced residents after an earthquake in Wushi county, western China's Xinjiang region, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. AP Photo

“This 7.1 magnitude earthquake is very high, but the death and injury situation is not serious,” Zhang said.

Jian Gewa, a 16-year-old student in Uchturpan, said he was in the bathroom when the earthquake started. The whole building shook violently. “I just thought I had to get to safety as quickly as possible,” Jian said.

The boy was evacuated to a school and is staying in a dormitory room with his grandfather, along with about 200 others. Local officials said they plan to test the stability of the homes before residents can return.

Of the more than 120 buildings damaged, 47 collapsed, according to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region government posted on its official social media account.

Officials said most of the collapsed houses were in remote areas and were mostly built by local residents. New public housing built by the government did not collapse.

The mountainous Uchturpan county is recording below freezing temperatures, with the China Meteorological Administration predicting lows could reach minus 18 degrees Celsius this week.

According to the Xinjiang government, the prefecture will have a population of about 233,000 by 2022. Several aftershocks were recorded on Tuesday, the strongest measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale. The tremors could be felt hundreds of kilometers away.

The quake was also felt in neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Videos posted on the messaging platform Telegram showed people in the Kazakh city of Almaty running down stairs in apartment buildings and standing on the streets, some wearing shorts in the cold.

Mai Anh (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tran-dong-dat-71-do-richter-o-trung-quoc-khien-3-nguoi-thiet-mang-post282210.html