Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 24, 2003
Xinjiang Earthquake Toll Put at 258
The earthquake that struck at 10:03 Monday morning (Beijing time) in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has killed 258 people and injured over 1,000 others, local government officials have said.
The earthquake that struck at 10:03 Monday morning (Beijing time) in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has killed 258 people and injured over 1,000 others, local government officials have said.
The earthquake is the most serious in the region since 1949, when New China was founded.
More than 1,000 houses and school buildings have collapsed in a village in Bachu County, the epicenter of the earthquake that measured 6.8 on the Richter scale.
Some officials from the China Seismological Bureau and local seismological bureau have flown to the area.
Several other places including Jiashi County, Kashi City, Bachu County, Artux County and Markit County also felt strong tremors.
The earthquake occurred at 39.5 degrees north latitude and 77.2 degrees east longitude, according to the China Seismological Bureau.