Magnitude 6.3 quake hits western China -USGS

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck western China on Wednesday, near the city of Yining in Xinjiang province close to the Kazakhstan border, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

It said the epicenter of the quake, which struck at 7:27 a.m. (2327 GMT on Tuesday), was located 85 miles (137 km)northeast of the city of Yining, which has a population of more than 500,000.

The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.5, was relatively shallow at a depth of 16.1 miles (26 km), the USGS said.

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake is considered strong and is capable of causing severe damage.

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