January 23, 2024 Location: Southern Xinjiang, China: A powerful earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck China’s Southern Xinjiang region on Monday night, sending strong tremors across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). The earthquake occurred at 23:39 IST, with its epicenter located at a latitude of 40.96 and longitude 78.30, at a depth of 80 kilometers, as reported by the National Center for Seismology.
In the aftermath of the seismic activity, numerous injuries were reported, and some houses collapsed along the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border. The Xinjiang railway department promptly suspended operations, affecting 27 trains following the quake.
Chinese authorities activated emergency response services to coordinate relief efforts. As many as 14 aftershocks, measuring 3.0 and above, were recorded near the epicenter in Wushi County, with the largest aftershock registering at 5.3 magnitude and located approximately 17 kilometers away.
Reports from Kazakhstan indicated that the emergencies ministry reported the same earthquake at a magnitude of 6.7. Residents in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, fled their homes and gathered outside despite the cold weather. Fortunately, no injuries or damages were reported in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, where the tremors were also felt.
The earthquake triggered panic and concerns about potential damages and casualties in the affected regions. Relief efforts are underway, with Chinese authorities providing essential supplies such as cotton tents, coats, quilts, mattresses, folding beds, and heating stoves to those affected.
The impact of the earthquake has not been
egion, as evidenced by the felt tremors in Delhi-NCR. While no significant damage has been reported in India, the incident serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of seismic events and the potential global repercussions of such occurrences.