A very strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.0 hit the Kyrgyzstan – Xinjiang border region at 18:09 UTC on January 22, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 13 km (8 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.0 at a depth of 9 km (5.6 miles).
The epicenter was located in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, about 126 km (78 miles) SSE of Kyzyl-Suu (population 15 075), 134 km (83 miles) S of Karakol (population 84 351), 134 km (83 miles) S of Ak-Suu (population 14 009), Kyrgyzstan, and 141 km (88 miles) W of Aksu (population 535 657), Xinjiang, China.
39 000 people are estimated to have felt very strong shaking, 363 000 strong, and 2 117 000 moderate.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities (some casualties are possible) and an Orange alert for economic losses. Significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of China. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and log construction.
END TIMES PROPHECY WATCH 
Leave a comment