Quake relief efforts going on in NW China region

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-23 16:10

URUMQI -- Relief efforts are in full swing in Kizisu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, since Friday's 5.2-magnitude earthquake, local authorities said Monday.

The county has received 500,000 yuan (US$73,529) from the prefectural Party and government authorities after the February 20 quake and procured such relief materials as coal, rice, flour, coats and cotton quilts, the Akqi County Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Monday.

The relief materials are being distributed to residents affected by the quake, said the Akqi County Party Committee source.

The quake hit the ethnic prefecture at 6:02 p.m. February20. The epicenter was at 40.7 degrees north latitude and 78.7 degrees east longitude, said the China Earthquake Administration.

The epicenter was 40 km away from the county seat of Akqi and 50 km away from the county seat of Kalpin.

No casualties were reported in either counties.

The earthquake destroyed 1,022 houses and affected 14,800 residents in Akqi, according to local sources.

In Kalpin, 40 tents were set up in the quake zone and 12,400 people were relocated. The county government received 1 million yuan (US$147,059) in relief fund and donation from Aksu Prefecture and Kuqa County.