URUMQI, Sept.4 (Xinhua) -- A magnitude-5.5 earthquake hit northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Tuesday morning, and no immediate casualties or damage to property have been reported, according to local government.

The quake jolted Jiashi County in Kashgar Prefecture in Xinjiang at 5:52 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter was monitored at 39.51 degrees north latitude and 76.98 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 8 km, the center said in a statement.

The epicenter, 22 km from the county seat of Jiashi, is sparsely populated.

The local government has sent personnel to the affected areas to check the situation.