(CNN) — A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northwestern China early Tuesday local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Chinese state media later reported at least 40 tremors and three injuries.
The three injured were in a municipality 26 kilometers from the epicenter, state broadcaster CCTV reported. According to the media, he was taken to the hospital.
The depth of the earthquake was 13 kilometers. According to the USGS, its center was located 129 kilometers east-southeast of Aykol in Xinjiang province and 136 kilometers east of Aksu in the same province.
For its part, Xinhua cited information from the Xinjiang Earthquake Agency as saying that the epicenter was about 50 kilometers away from the Wuxi county seat, adding that five villages were located within a 20-kilometer radius of the epicenter.
Xinhua said the quake was felt in cities and prefectures in Xinjiang including Urumqi, Hotan and Kashgar, prompting railway authorities to stop 27 passenger trains to inspect railway lines, bridges, signaling equipment and other facilities in the affected area.
State media reported that rescue teams were deployed to the epicenter of the earthquake to help residents in several areas who faced temperatures below zero, including -10 degrees Celsius in the city of Aksu in the early hours of the morning.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that tremors were also felt across the border in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
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