Twin earthquakes that rattled different parts of China on Tuesday0 caused widespread damage, though no causalities have been reported so far.
More than 3,800 people were evacuated and 824 houses were toppled after the 6.0-magnitude quake jolted northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region this morning, local authorities said.
The quake rocked the border area of Yining and Gongliu counties in the Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili at 8.21 am, knocking down several corrals and damaging nearby houses, officials with the region's earthquake administration said.
No casualties have been reported so far.
The second earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale jolted the border area of Sichuan and Gansu provinces in western China earlier, according to the China Earthquake Network Centre. No casualties were reported.
Direct economic losses from the quake in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was more than 66.9 million yuan ($10.5 million), local officials said.
The regional bureau of civil affairs initiated an emergency response to the quake.
A total of 200 tents, 1,000 bedclothes and 1,000 shoes have been sent to the quake-stricken areas. Schools have been temporarily closed and two work teams have been dispatched for rescue and recovery work.
A part of the No. 218 national highway that was blocked by a landslide triggered by the quake resumed traffic at 1.00 pm.
One train was also delayed on a section of railway in the quake zone as well. The earthquake was also felt in the nearby counties of Xinyuan, Gongliu and Nilka.
The China Earthquake Administration has ordered local authorities to swiftly conduct disaster analysis and quake relief. The administration has also sent a working group to Xinjiang.
