URUMQI, Sept. 11 -- An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale hit the southern part of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early on Tuesday.

       The regional seismic bureau said that its observation network detected the tremor around 8:34 a.m. Beijing time. The epicenter was at 37.7 degrees north latitude and 86.43 east longitude in a sparsely populated area in Qiemo county at the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains.

       There has been no reports of human casualties.