Strong earthquake shakes remote far-western China

This map from the US Geological Service map show the location of an earthquake that struck western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016.

BEIJING — A strong earthquake shook a remote area of far-western China on Friday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 and struck western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It said it was centered near the border with Tajikistan and was quite shallow, at a depth of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).

Shallow earthquakes are more likely to cause damage in populated urban areas, but the area of Xinjiang is largely rural.

China’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake occurred in Akto county in Kizilsu Khirgiz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang.