Strong Earthquake Shakes Xinjiang Region In China; Atleast 17 Injured

6/30/2012 5:17 AM ET

A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquake jolted northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Saturday, leaving at least seventeen people hurt. The Xinjiang regional government reported no deaths.

Strong tremors were felt widely in the region, including the regional capital of Urumqi. Some households lost electricity, when the quake occurred at 5:07 a.m.

The epicenter was located in the mountainous area along the border of Hejing and Xinyuan counties, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC). Residents near the epicenter were shaken out of bed in pre-dawn darkness.

The quake damaged several buildings 300 kilometers to the west in the regional capital, Urumqi.

The CENC has launched a level-three emergency response following the quake. Rescue work team had been dispatched to the sparsely populated quake-hit area to search for casualties.

by RTT Staff Writer

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