China earthquake topples homes and buildings, deaths and injuries reported
At least three people are dead, and more than a half-dozen suffered injuries after a deadly earthquake toppled homes and buildings in western China early Tuesday, officials are reporting.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck at 2:09 a.m. local time in the country's Xinjiang region near the Kyrgyzstan border.
Seismologists could revise the earthquake's reported magnitude after reviewing data.
The notable quake took place during freezing weather and jolted the area of Wushi County in Aksu .
Data provided by USGS showed the earthquake was just over 8.0 miles deep and took place 18 miles northwest of Aykol.
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Multiple aftershocks were recorded including one that registered a 5.3 magnitude, USGS scientist reported.
In addition to at least three reported deaths, according to the Associated Press, five people suffered injuries, two of them being serious.
About 1,000 rescuers were dispatched to the epicenter to dig through rubble in search of survivors, the AP reported, and temporary shelters were set up to house those from the cold and others who lost their homes in the mountainous region.
The tremblor damaged 120 buildings leveling 47 homes and damaging 78 houses, the outlet reported.
Greenhouses in the mountainous area "were reduced to plastic sheets and rubble," the government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region posted on its official Weibo social media account.
“I was ... awoken by my wife and didn’t know what was wrong. I just wanted my family to evacuate safely,” Liu Jinhua, who runs an advertising company in the district, told the AP. The man said he quickly fled his apartment "with his wife and kids in their pajamas as the quake shook their building."
The quake downed power lines but Aksu authorities told the AP the electricity was "quickly restored".
The death toll and injury toll are expected to rise as a result of the destruction.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Earthquake in China: Deaths and injuries reported, buildings destroyed
