M4.5 earthquake near Qarek, Xinjiang

What happened

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 45 km W of Shache, China on 24 Jan 2017, 18:42 UTC at a depth of 44 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Light. Widely felt nearby; objects may shake or fall. Significant damage is unusual. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Qarek, about 24 km away in Xinjiang, China.