Strong earthquake rocks China

A strong earthquake in western China’s Xinjiang region today killed seven people and caused the collapse of some houses, the government said.

The 6.1-magnitude quake, in the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture near the border with Kazakhstan, hit at 9.38am local time (1.38am GMT) today, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

It said the quake was felt for many miles around.

The US Geological Service’s National Earthquake Information Centre in Colorado confirmed the tremor but said it was slightly less strong – magnitude 5.7.

Rescue teams were en route to the area, Xinhua said.

Xinjiang was the site of the most lethal quake in China this year – a magnitude-6.8 temblor on February 24 that killed 268 people.

China’s deadliest earthquake in modern history struck the north-eastern city of Tangshan on July 28, 1976, killing some 240,000 people. Its magnitude was measured at 7.8 to 8.2.