7.1 magnitude earthquake rattles part of western China, injuring 6 people

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck a sparsely populated part of China’s western Xinjiang region early Tuesday, causing extensive damage but injuring just six people in freezing cold weather, authorities said. The quake was the latest in a series of seismic events and natural disasters to hit the vast country’s western regions.
The quake rocked Uchturpan county in Aksu prefecture shortly after 2 a.m., the China Earthquake Networks Center said. Rescue crews were rushed to the area, with about 1,000 on hand by mid-day. No deaths have been reported. The county is called Wushi in the Mandarin language spoken by most Chinese.
Rescue crews combed through the rubble, overturning bricks and stone blocks in search of victims. Emergency survival gear including coats, tents and folding beds to help the thousands of people who fled their homes had arrived or were on their way, the official Xinhua News Agency said.