A magnitude-6.6 earthquake on Saturday hit China's north-western region of Xingjian Uygur, damaging houses and injuring 24 people, officials said. Tremors were felt across the region after the earthquake struck at 5:07 am (2107 GMT Friday), shaking residents out of bed and causing temporary blackouts, including in the regional capital Urumqi. Local officials said many buildings were flattened or damaged in Xinyuan County and hundreds of cattle were killed after their sheds collapsed. The earthquake, whose epicentre was in a mountainous area along the border between the Hejing and Xinyuan counties, also prompted landslides and damaged highways in Xinjiang. Local authorities have launched rescue missions in the worst-affected areas, according to a report of DPA.
