Strong earthquake reported in far-western China

BEIJING - The Associated Press

Chinese navy soldiers search for victims amongst debris of destroyed houses after a flood caused by a dam breach in Daishan county on Aug 10. REUTERS photo

Chinese officials say a strong earthquake has struck a remote area of the country’s far-western Xinjiang region.
 
The government earthquake monitoring center said the quake registered magnitude 6.2 and hit in the evening. It said it was centered 282 kilometers southeast of the oasis city of Hotan. The area is deep in the thinly populated Kunlun mountains.
 
There were no initial reports of damage or injuries from the quake. However, its depth was measured at a relatively shallow 30 kilometers, increasing the likelihood of damage.
 
The region along the edge of the Himalayan Plateau is one of China’s most seismically active.
 
A pair of magnitude 6.3 and 6.4 quakes hit Iran yesterday, causing extensive damage and killing at least 200 people.