5.1-magnitude earthquake shakes China

BEIJING - An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale hit China’s Uygur region Thursday, but no casualty was reported, officials said.

According to China Earthquake Networks Centre, the epicentre of the quake was 60 km from the mountainous region of Wuqia and 8 kilometers below the earth surface.

An official in Wuheshalu town told Xinhua that many houses in the township suffered cracks but there are no immediate reports of any casualties.

“What I worry about most is what happened to about 60 people at a herdsman settlement some 80 km from the epicenter,” Li Rongjun, the official, said.

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked northwest China’s Qinghai Province April 14, leaving 2,698 dead and 270 others missing.