China says 6.5 quake in far west kills 3, collapses homes

July 04, 2015 11:55 am | Updated 11:55 am IST - BEIJING

Authorities estimated economic losses from the quake were at least $30 million, the People’s Daily newspaper reported.  Photo: Special Arrangement

Authorities estimated economic losses from the quake were at least $30 million, the People’s Daily newspaper reported. Photo: Special Arrangement

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake that shook China’s far-western region of Xinjiang killed three people, injured 71 and collapsed thousands of houses, officials said Saturday.

The quake hit Pishan county in the Hotan region of Xinjiang early Friday. Earlier reports on state media said that six people had died, but by Saturday the China Earthquake Administration gave the tally as three killed and 71 injured.

“Buildings were trembling and people rushed to the streets,” said Jin Xingchang, an express courier in Hotan city, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) from Pishan.

Authorities estimated economic losses from the quake were at least $30 million, the People’s Daily newspaper reported.

The mostly ethnic Muslim Uighur area of Pishan is at the southern edge of the Taklamakan desert near the border with India, and is rich in mineral resources including coal, crude oil, natural gas and jade.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.