Major earthquake hits Xinjiang

An earthquake and two aftershocks hit the Xinjiang autonomous region in northwestern China on Friday morning, Reuters reported. According to early reports from the area, there was no loss of life or serious damage. The China Earthquake Administration said the initial quake had a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale with aftershocks of 5.1 and 5.2, respectively. The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.2 magnitude and the aftershocks at 5.3 and 5.5, respectively. The epicenter of the quake was near Yutian county, about 230 kilometers from the city of Hotan. It is said to be a relatively sparse region with a population of 2.3 million, most of them Muslim.