The tremor struck at 11.44 pm (1544 GMT) Sunday near Jiashi and Yuepuhu counties in the predominantly Muslim Xinjiang region, seismological officials told AFP.

The area was levelled by a powerful quake on February 24, leaving 268 people dead and 4,000 injured.

"So far one person is dead and three are slightly injured," Xinjiang Seismological Bureau official Zhang Yong told AFP, adding that around 1,000 livestock, mainly sheep, had died.

"At least 1,600 houses have collapsed in Yuepuhu county," he said.

"These figures are from the county government. A lot of officials have been sent to the area.

"As far as we know there are no casualties in Jiashi county so far and the damage is not as serious, just cracks to houses."

Zhang said the epicenter was in Yuepuhu county although seismological officials had earlier said it was in Jiashi.

The quake in February, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, affected an area of more than 22,500 square kilometers (9,000 square miles), causing 157 million dollars worth of damage, according to earlier official reports.

It destroyed 20,000 houses, cut water and power supplies and toppled 591 schools and 384 mosques.

SPACE.WIRE