Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The US Geophysical Institute (Usgs) reported that a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck the Xinjiang region in northwestern China this morning. According to official media, there have been eight deaths and 23 wounded.
China Earthquake Administration reports that the earthquake occurred at 5:58 in the remote Taxkorgan region, at Kashgar Prefecture, at a depth of 8 km. Xinhua reports that some buildings were seriously damaged.
The area affected by the earthquake, isolated and sparsely populated, is located near the border with Tajikistan. Xinjiang is a vast region, mostly deserted and largely familiar with telluric shocks. China is regularly affected by earthquakes, particularly in the mountain regions of the western part of the country.
Sichuan (southwest), one of the country's largest provinces, was hit by a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.9 in May 2008, causing more than 80,000 deaths and missing.
