A magnitude 7.01 earthquake struck the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border region on Tuesday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)said.
The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said.
In nearby Kazakhstan, the emergencies ministry reported the same earthquake at a magnitude of 6.7.
In Kazakhstan's biggest city, Almaty, residents fled their houses and gathered outside despite cold weather, some dressed in pajamas and slippers. No damage has been reported.
The tremors, followed by aftershocks about 30 minutes later, were also felt in Uzbekistan.
