China earthquake kills 2, destroys 1,500 houses

March 1, 1997
Web posted at: 1:36 p.m. EST (1836 GMT)

BEIJING (CNN) -- A powerful earthquake struck northwest China Saturday, killing at least two people and injuring three, officials said.

The magnitude-6 earthquake jolted Jiashi county in the northwestern region of Xinjiang at 2:04 p.m. (0604 GMT), an official with the local office of the State Seismological Bureau said.

Authorities in Jiashi had started relief activities and aid teams from other parts of Xinjiang were preparing to move in to help, according a seismological official in the regional capital of Urumqi

On January 21, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage and killed up to 50 people in Jiashi, home to mainly Muslim, Turkic-speaking ethnic groups, such as Uighurs and Tajiks.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 

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