Chinese authorities have dispatched a work team to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to check the disaster situation and direct rescue work after two earthquakes hit the region Wednesday.
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The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Commission for Disaster Reduction initiated an emergency disaster relief response soon after 5:19 p.m. when a 7.3-magnitude quake struck.
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The epicenter, with a depth of 12 km, was located at Yutian county in southwest Xinjiang, or about 36.1 degrees north latitude and 82.5 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement.
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A 5.7-magnitude quake hit the same area at 5:24 p.m. with a depth of 5 km, followed by several quakes less than 5 magnitude, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
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No immediate casualties have been reported, but some houses have probably been toppled or damaged, the ministry said.