BREAKING NEWS

Powerful 7.1 earthquake strikes Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border, several injuries reported

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border region on Tuesday with reports of several injuries and collapsed houses, Chinese state media reported.

The epicentre of the quake struck at 2:09 a.m. and at a depth of 22 km (13 miles) in the mountainous border area of Wushi County in northwest China's Xinjiang region, according to the China Earthquake Administration.

According to the Xinjiang Earthquake Agency, the epicentre is about 50 km (31 miles) from Wushi, with five villages located within a 20-km (12 miles) radius around the epicentre, Xinhua News reported.

As of 8 a.m., 40 aftershocks have been recorded, according to China Earthquake Networks Center.

Netizens on China's Weibo social media platform reported that the earthquake was felt strongly in Urumqi, Korla, Kashgar, Yining and surrounding areas.