34 injured in Xinjiang quake

A woman points at the cracks in wall after earthquake in Xinyuan, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, June 30, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

URUMQI - A 6.6-magnitude quake that jolted northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early Saturday morning has injured 34 people, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said.

The earthquake, which hit a mountainous area along the border of Hejing and Xinyuan counties at 5:07 a.m., toppled 104 houses and damaged 4,735 others, the CENC said.

The quake also triggered landslides and caused cave-ins on several national and regional highways in Xinjiang, bringing traffic to a halt. A landslide on National Highway 217 has trapped 120 people, the CENC said.

Local authorities earlier reported that the quake also destroyed several animal holding pens, killing hundreds of cattle.

The CENC has launched a level-three emergency response following the quake. The Ministy of Civil Affairs has dispatched 2,500 tents and 12,500 quilts to quake-hit areas.

Losses and damage resulting from the quake are still being assessed and relief efforts are under way, the ministry said.

Experts said the quake-hit region, located about 3,500 meters above sea level, has been geologically active throughout history. Two earthquakes measuring higher than 7 on the Richter scale have jolted the region since 1900.