China activates emergency response after quake hits NW China's Xinjiang

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The China Earthquake Administration (CEA) initiated a Level-IV emergency service response after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake jolted Tajik Autonomous County of Taxkorgan in the Kashgar region in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early on Wednesday.

The earthquake struck the county at 3:17 a.m., according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The epicenter was monitored at 37.58 degrees north latitude and 74.93 degrees east longitude. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km, the CENC said.

Following the quake, the administration instructed the CENC and the regional earthquake agency of Xinjiang to launch emergency response, urging joint consultations, strengthened seismic monitoring, post-earthquake situation assessment, and timely updates.

The average altitude within 10 km of the epicenter is around 4,545 meters, according to the CEA. No casualties have been reported so far.