6.0-magnitude earthquake hits parts of China's Xinjiang

BEIJING: A strong earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this morning but no casualties were reported.

The epicenter, with a depth of 30 kilometers, was at 39.4 degrees north latitude and 81.3 degrees east longitude, the China Earthquake Network Center said.

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Earthquake Bureau had not received casualty reports from local authorities so far, state-run Xinhua reported.

The spokesman of bureau said the epicenter is located in the heart of China's largest desert of Taklimakan. The location with a radius of 100 square km is uninhabited.

He said the bureau is still expecting damage reports from Aksu, Kashi, Hotan, Bayan Gol and Ili prefectures, where the quake was felt.

Local authorities in the regions have sent staff to make door calls in rural areas to check damages.