01/11/2011 11:54
Quake hits China
As the CNN reports, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake rattled northwestern China on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake struck at 8:21 a.m. (8:21 p.m. Monday ET), according to the USGS. It was centered in northern Xinjiang province at a depth of nearly 28 km (17 miles) below the surface.
More than 50 houses collapsed and hundreds of homes were damaged after the 5.4-magnitude quake jolted the border area of Yining and Gongliu counties in Xinjiang, the local earthquake bureau said on its official microblog, the AFP reports.
The China Earthquake Administration said the quake was believed to have caused "major damage" and "strong shaking" was felt in neighbouring counties, the official Xinhua news agency reported.