Earthquake rattles Xinjiang; no injuries or damage

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake shook Artux, Kezilesu Kirgiz autonomous prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, at 2:09 am on Wednesday. No casualties or property damage was reported, the earthquake agency of Xinjiang said later in the morning.

The agency has initiated its emergency response procedures and dispatched a work group to the affected area in collaboration with the prefecture's quake warning center.

It said that strong tremors were also felt in Kashgar, Aksu, and Hotan.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake had a focal depth of 10 kilometers. Subsequently, within the prefecture, five quakes of 4.3, 3.6, 4.3, 3.3, and 3.2 magnitudes occurred by 3:47 am.

Sources from the Xinjiang earthquake agency and the prefecture's emergency management bureau said a preliminary assessment had confirmed that the epicenter of the first quake was below an uninhabited area.