Planet Ark WebsitesNational Tree DayRecycling Near YouNational Recycling WeekAluminium Can RecyclingCartridges 4 Planet Ark

Reuters China Quake Prompts Evacuation of 8,250

Date: 23-Jul-07
Country: CHINA

The 5.7-magnitude quake jolted a county in the north of the vast Xinjiang region, bordering Kazakhstan, on Friday.

Xinhua quoted an official as saying no one had died.

The quake hit Tekes county, with its epicentre in a mountainous region 430 km (270 miles) from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.

"Rescuers have displaced 8,250 residents as their houses, most of which are mud-brick, either collapsed or became dangerous," the official was quoted as saying.

China is struck by frequent earthquakes, most hitting remote rural areas.

© Thomson Reuters 2007 All rights reserved