Measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale an earthquake jolted Usu City, northwest China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, at 7:04 PM on Thursday.

 

According to the Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Seismological Bureau the epicenter was located in a mountainous area at 44.2 degrees north latitude and 83.5 degrees east longitude. The quake was strongly felt in the cities of Usu, Kyutun and Yining. No casualties have been reported.

 

Usu, on the belt of the northern Tianshan Mountain slope, is about 260 km from Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, and has a population of 210,000. It plays an important role in economic development of northern Xinjiang area.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2006)