China: Magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurs in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at around 11:52 Feb. 15

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at around 11:52 Feb. 15. The epicenter was about 115 km (71 miles) west-northwest of Aykol, China. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and weak-to-light shaking likely occurred across parts of western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China and central and eastern Issyk-Kul Region in Kyrgyzstan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are possible 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.