China Earthquake: Over 12,000 People Displaced, Several Casualties Reported as Aftershocks Continue After 7.1 Quake

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck China's remote Xinjiang region on Tuesday, January 23, killing at least three people and damaging hundreds of buildings. The powerful tremor did not end there, as aftershocks continued to strike western China on Wednesday, January 24, resulting in the displacement of more than 12,000 people who were forced out of their homes.

Amid freezing weather, the displaced residents were reported to be staying in tents and robust shelters. The January 23 earthquake was also felt in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. In China, the earthquake caused relatively low damage since the 7.1 magnitude quake occurred in a mountainous, remote part of the country. The region was thousands of feet above sea level, according to authorities.

The recent China earthquake occurred two days after a deadly landslide struck a mountain village in China's Yunnan province before dawn on Monday, January 22, burying houses and dozens of villagers with fallen debris. The latest estimate of the death toll has risen to 31 fatalities, as rescuers continue to search for missing people, according to reports.

2024 China Earthquake

China Earthquake: Over 12,000 People Displaced, Several Casualties Reported as Aftershocks Continue on Wednesday Following 7.1 Magnitude Quake — The rubble of houses damaged by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake is seen on a street in Wushi County, Aksu prefecture, in China's northwestern Xinjiang region on January 23, 2024. Photo by STR/CNS/AFP via Getty Images

The China earthquake, also called the China-Kyrgyzstan border earthquake, hit the Wushu county in Aksu prefecture shortly after 2:00 a.m. (local time), the China Earthquake Networks Center reported said in a statement. The natural disaster was followed by the deployment of around 200 rescuers to the epicenter.

Aside from the three fatalities, at least six people have been reported injured and 120 homes collapsed or have been damaged from the strong earthquake amid the freezing cold weather, according to local authorities. Meanwhile, other sources estimate that the number of injured people has reached at least 50 in connection with the China-Kyrgyzstan border quake.

Also Read: At Least 65 People Dead as 6.5 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Southwestern China

East Asia Earthquakes

This is the first major earthquake of western China and its surrounding countries in 2024, which was marked by another powerful earthquake on New Year's Day, causing a wave of tsunamis and aftershocks in western Japan. Regardless, East Asia (where China belongs to) had recorded devastating earthquakes in previous years.

In 2008, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck China's Sichuan province, killing more than 87,000 people and forcing 4.8 million people to be homeless amid the quake's destructive force. The Sichuan earthquake was so catastrophic that China reportedly requested colossal international aid and assistance for post-earthquake recovery.

While China is not situated above the world's most active seismic zone, earthquakes can still occur in any location at any time. However, historical earthquakes have shown that they occur within Earth's three large zones, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS):

Circum-Pacific seismic belt
Alpide earthquake belt
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

According to the USGS, China along Iran are seismically active areas, meaning earthquakes are unpredictable and can occur within and their surrounding regions with little or without warning.