Powerful 7.1 earthquake strikes Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border

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 quake struck at 2:09 a.m., according to the China Earthquake Administration, hitting Wushi County in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, a mountainous border area.
As of 4 a.m., 14 aftershocks of magnitude 3.0 and above were recorded near the epicentre, and the largest aftershock was 5.3, about 17 kms away from the epicentre, Xinhua News reported.
The Xinjiang railway department immediately stopped operations and 27 trains were reportedly affected by the earthquake, Xinhua said.
China’s Earthquake Administration said it immediately activated emergency response services in conjunction with the Office of the Earthquake Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management, dispatching a group to guide local rescue efforts.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said several departments coordinated relief efforts, providing cotton tents, coats, quilts, mattresses, folding beds and heating stoves