On October 26, at 4:35 PM, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck the city of Kuqa in the Aksu region of Xinjiang, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Following the tremor, several areas, including Shaya County and Luntai County, reported strong shaking. However, as of now, there have been no reports of damage to buildings or casualties. Communications and power supply remain normal in Kuqa city and surrounding areas.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located within Talimu Town in Kuqa city, situated in a desert area, approximately 25.6 kilometers from Caohubei Village and about 35.6 kilometers from the Talimu Town government. The city center of Kuqa is roughly 113.5 kilometers away, where only minor shaking was felt.
In response to the earthquake, local authorities quickly activated an emergency response plan. The Kuqa Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau is organizing inspections and has dispatched two teams to the epicenter. A preliminary team from the Aksu Fire and Rescue Brigade, consisting of 20 personnel and four vehicles, is en route to the site. Additionally, rescue teams from other counties are on standby, ready to deploy if necessary.
Immediately after the quake, the local government convened a meeting to coordinate inspections across various townships and emergency response departments.
The earthquake’s epicenter is reported to be 93 kilometers from Luntai County, 100 kilometers from Shaya County, and 437 kilometers from Urumqi city.
