A magnitude 7.3 earthquake happened in Hetian area in China's Xiangjiang Province at a depth of 12.5 kilometers at 5:19 p.m. on February 12. 

China Earthquake Networks Center measured the quake at magnitude 7.3 and said it was followed by at least seven smaller quakes within the following half hour. The epicenter was in mountainous area, Yutian County was strongly shaking, and many people ran to open areas. People in Hetian city, 180 kilometers away from Yutian County, felt strong tremors shaking.

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According to a CCTV journalist, the 7.3 magnitude earthquake lasted one minute with strong and obvious shaking. As of 6 p.m., no injuries were reported and the residents of Yutian County were relocated to a safe place.

As of 9:30 p.m. on 12^th, the earthquake have made 23 houses collapse, walls of 861 houses crack, and 386 livestock places collapse as well as 178 livestock dead.

Currently, the government of Yutian County has already allocated 80 tents, 10 tons of flour, 100 buckets of oil, 100 coats and bedding to the earthquake area; the residents whose houses were damaged have already moved to tents and schools. As of 7 p.m., no casualties were reported in the village nearest to the epicenter, Ajiang Village, but a few houses were damaged.

China Earthquake Networks Center researcher Shihong Sun said any casualties from Wednesday's quake would likely be low. Sun also said that no 7 and up magnitude earthquake reported in the past 3 months. 7 and up magnitude earthquakes might happen frequently after this Xinjiang earthquake. This earthquake would not cause serve consequence at the end. The director of the Yutian Civil Affairs Bureau, Zhang Chong, said officials were still gathering information.

China's worst earthquake in recent years was a magnitude-7.9 temblor that struck the southwestern province of Sichuan in 2008, leaving about 90,000 people dead or missing.