China's Xinjiang rocked by powerful 7.3 earthquake

Beijing: A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake followed by a strong aftershock jolted northwest China's remote Xinjiang region on Wednesday.

The earthquake struck the province at 5:19 pm (local time), according to official readings by the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

The epicentre's depth was measured at 12 km at Yutian county in southwest Xinjiang. An ensuing 5.7-magnitude quake hit the same area at 5:24 pm with a depth of 5 km followed by several tremors, the centre added.

No immediate casualties or damage have been reported.

The region is sparsely-populated mostly by ethnic Muslim Uygurs.