China: Magnitude-5.7 earthquake occurs in Uqturpan County Jan. 30

A magnitude-5.7 earthquake occurred in Uqturpan County, Xinjiang Region, China, at around 06:27 Jan. 30. The epicenter was about 122 km (76 miles) west-northwest of Aykol, Xinjiang Region. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout much of the western portion of Xinjiang Region as well as the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions of Kyrgyzstan and the Almaty, Jambyl, and Jetisu regions of Kazakhstan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.