Residents of Almaty, the Almaty region, the Zhambyl region, and the Zhetysu region felt tremors. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, a network of seismic stations registered an earthquake at 12:45 Astana time.
The department reported that the epicentre was located 277 kilometres south-east of Almaty, on the territory of China. The strength of the tremors was 2–3 magnitude in several districts of the Almaty region. Residents of areas in the Zhambyl region and the Zhetysu region felt two-magnitude tremors. There are no casualties or injuries.
Following the tremors in Almaty, an evacuation of visitors from shopping and entertainment centres and public places took place. According to the akimat, warning systems were activated: residents received notifications on their phones, and sirens were sounded.
"People began leaving buildings according to the algorithm. No panic or crush was observed," the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported.
Currently, the Department of Emergency Situations of Almaty is inspecting buildings and structures for possible damage. Patrol and fire services are touring the city, observers at hydro-posts are checking riverbeds, and specialists from Kazseleshchita are examining hydraulic structures, as well as landslide- and mudflow-prone areas.
Meanwhile, Ulysmedia.kz notes that the Google alert system provided different data about the earthquake. According to the service's information, the epicentre was located approximately 41 km from Almaty, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, and the magnitude was 4.6.