A Magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred in Southern Xinjiang Province, China, at around 18:09UTC January 22. The epicenter was about 126 km (78 miles) south-southeast of Kyzyl-Suu, Kyrgyzstan, and 135 km (84 miles) west-northwest of Aykol, China. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 27 km (17 miles), and moderate-to-strong shaking was probably felt across western Xinjiang Province, parts of eastern Almaty Region in Kazakhstan, and eastern Kyrgyzstan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are possible over the coming days.
Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake’s epicenter.
