Quake in western China kills 242 people

At least 242 people were killed today by a powerful earthquake that struck China’s remote western region of Xinjiang, the government said. More than 1,000 homes were destroyed in just one town.

The 6.8 magnitude quake struck Bachu County on the western edge of Xinjiang, near China’s mountainous border with Kyrgyzstan, at 10.03am (2.03am Irish time).