On February 23rd, the seventh day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Xinjiang, China, with residents in several areas of Xinjiang reporting noticeable tremors.
According to official data from the China Earthquake Networks Center, at 12:12 pm on February 23rd, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in Wushi County, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang (latitude 40.88 degrees north, longitude 84.17 degrees east), with a focal depth of 15 kilometers.
Residents in Urumqi, Korla, Shayar County, and other areas of Xinjiang reported feeling the earthquake distinctly.
Earthquakes have been frequent in mainland China during the Chinese New Year period. On February 20th (the fourth day of the Lunar New Year) at 2:28 pm, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck Yangxi County, Yangjiang City, Guangdong, with a focal depth of 11 kilometers. Residents in Yangjiang City felt noticeable tremors, and many netizens in Shenzhen reported feeling the shaking. Over a hundred citizens in Hong Kong also reported feeling the quake to the Hong Kong Observatory.
In the late night of February 17th (the first day of the Lunar New Year), a 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, with a focal depth of 10 kilometers. Many residents described strong tremors and felt walls shaking, prompting some to evacuate outdoors for safety.