Strong 6.0 Quake In Arzak, China: Widespread Damage

Strong M6.0 earthquake hits near Arzak, China: 1 Dead, several injured and widespread damage videos

A strong M6.0 earthquake hit 91km ENE of Arzak in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on January 19, 2020.

The major shallow quake was followed by at least 10 aftershocks, killing 1, injuring several others and cracking down walls and homes across a wide area.

The strong and shallow shaking hit at 13:28 (UTC) at a depth of 11.0 km (6.8 miles) in a remote region of the Takla Makan desert and was most probably felt in nearby Kyrgyzstan (as shown on the map below).

Just a few hours after the tremor, already 9 people had reported feeling the quake on the USGS homepage.

But we had to wait until officials inspected the region on January 20, to get a better overview about the consequences and related deaths, injuries and damage.

According to preliminary data, the M6.0 quake has killed at least one person and slightly injured two others. So far, rescuers have evacuated 4,827 people to temporary shelters.

Moreover, the shock toppled four private stores and 1,084 meters of walls, and caused cracks in more than 1,000 houses and 5,574 meters of walls. It also damaged power lines and transport facilities.

A widespread regional response has been launched with more than thousands of people, 500 vehicles, and a financial support of about 30 million yuan (US$4.37 million) for quake relief.