Xinjiang's quake-jolted area was hit by a snowstorm Thursday, according to a Xinhua reporter at the site.[Xinhua]

Xinjiang's quake-jolted area was hit by a snowstorm Thursday, according to a Xinhua reporter at the site.

The reporter reached Halajun Township, the nearest town to the epicenter of the 5.0-magnitude earthquake, which hit Artux City in northwest Uygur Autonomous Region Wednesday.

"No casualties were found in the township center and nearby densely-populated areas. We have sent staff to check remote areas," said Bi Guangsheng, secretary of the Township Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Overnight sleet turned into a snowstorm Thursday morning. Snow piled up to 40 centimeters in the mountainous area 1,400 km to the southwest of Xinjiang's capital of Urumqi, according to the reporter.

The township official said 257 houses were damaged in the quake, leaving 5,780 people homeless. The victims have been temporarily sharing rooms in neighborhood houses.

"We have prepared instant noodles and mineral water for them," said Bi, calling for help for more disaster relief goods like tents, quilt and food.

The temperature is about 7 degree Celsius.

The China Central Meteorological Observatory said at 6:00 a.m. Thursday, the sleet will continue in to the evening.

Artux City is the capital of the Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu, which has a population of 484,300.

The quake struck at 5:26 p.m. and the epicenter was at 40.1 degrees north latitude and 77.4 degrees east longitude, the Xinjiang Seismological Network reported.

On Sunday, a 5.5-magnitude quake jolted Akqi County, also in the prefecture, which affected 15,000 residents and damaged thousands of houses. No casualties were reported.