A major earthquake followed by a series of aftershocks struck early on January 23 along the China-Kyrgyzstan border, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported, warning of potentially widespread damage.
Kyrgyz Emergencies Minister Boobek Ajikeev said in a video message that the earthquake was felt shortly after midnight in Kyrgyzstan and was especially strong in several districts of the northern Issyk-Kul region.
In the capital, Bishkek, people fled their homes to seek refuge in the street. There was also strong tremors in the cities of Karakol and Naryn.
No casualties or damage has been reported in the districts and cities he mentioned, Ajikeev said, asking people not to panic.
The time of the quake was registered just after 2 a.m. on January 23 local time at its epicenter in China's Xinjiang Province, about 140 kilometers west of the city of Aksu.
According to the USGS, five earthquakes occurred, and the most powerful had a magnitude of 7. The strength of the other four was around magnitude 5.
Residents of Bishkek said the ground shook violently there, and people living in multistory buildings opted to leave.
The earthquake and the aftershocks were also felt in Kazakhstan, more than 260 kilometers from the epicenter.
Residents of Almaty, especially those who live in apartment buildings, fled into the streets, and cars jammed the roads.
The Emergencies Agency called on residents of Almaty not to panic and to beware of disinformation.
Chinese state media said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and caused at least two houses to collapse.
Around 200 emergency rescuers were dispatched to the quake’s epicenter, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The Xinjiang railway authority suspended dozens of trains in the region and sealed off the affected sections, the broadcaster said.
There were no immediate reports of fatalities in China.
Strong Earthquake Centered Near China-Kyrgyzstan Border Felt Across Central Asia
In Bishkek, people fled their homes to seek refuge in the street.