A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Akqi County in the Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at 12:14 p.m. on Sunday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). No casualties or property damage have been reported so far.
The epicenter was located at 41.15 degrees north latitude and 78.41 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 11 kilometers. The epicenter is 24 kilometers from the county seat of Akqi and 68 kilometers from the county seat of Wushi in Aksu Prefecture. Although the area around the epicenter is sparsely populated, the quake was strongly felt in both Akqi and Wushi counties.
“The furniture in my house was visibly shaking, and I could feel the ground shaking when I ran into the yard,” recalled a resident of Akqi County who lives on the fourth floor of a building. “I feel a little scared after two consecutive days of earthquakes with magnitudes of more than 5.”
Local authorities confirmed that as of 1 p.m. on Sunday, no casualties or collapsed houses had been reported. The State Grid Akqi Power Supply Company reported that the local main grid and power distribution networks are operating normally. Local train operations have not been affected.
This earthquake follows a magnitude 5.3 quake that struck Akqi County at 6:58 a.m. on Saturday, and a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that jolted Wushi County and its surrounding areas on January 23, which was followed by multiple quakes in neighboring Akqi County.
Gao Mengtan, an expert at the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration, explained that after an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher, aftershocks generally continue for one to several months, with their frequency gradually decreasing.
Residents are advised to stay alert for potential aftershocks and follow guidance from local authorities.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
