Strong earthquake hits China

A strong earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck the Akqi region of northwest China's Xinjiang province on Thursday (local time). The epicenter of the earthquake was about 10 kilometers deep - a relatively shallow tremor.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage, local authorities and the China Earthquake Network Center (CENC), the earthquake monitoring agency, said, citing the local administration and the China Earthquake Network Center (CENC). Roads, electricity and telecommunications services in the area remained normal after the quake.

Initially, the earthquake appeared to be only a tremor and did not quickly become strong - resulting in no major impact on public life or settlements. Provincial authorities said they were "obviously monitoring the situation."