7.2 magnitude earthquake rocks China's Southern Xinjiang area

A strong magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Southern Xinjiang, China today, according to the National Center for Seismology. Strong tremors were felt across Delhi-NCR region. China broadcaster CCTV reported 14 aftershocks following the primary earthquake, two of which measured above a magnitude of five. This seismic event happened a day after a landslide in southwest China buried numerous individuals, resulting in at least eight fatalities.

In nearby Kazakhstan, the emergency ministry registered an identical earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7. The tremors, along with subsequent aftershocks



occurring approximately 30 minutes later, were also experienced in Uzbekistan. New Delhi reported significant tremors despite being approximately 1,400 kilometres away.

The earthquake in China occurred in a rural region predominantly inhabited by Uyghurs, a Muslim Turkic ethnic group that has faced forced assimilation and mass detention as part of a state campaign. This week, frigid temperatures have affected various parts of northern and central China, leading authorities to close schools and highways multiple times due to snowstorms.