Six people are dead and dozens injured after a 6.5 magnitude earthquake damaged more than 5,000 houses and other buildings in the Xinjiang region of western China.

The quake occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles) on Friday morning in the Pishan county in the Hotan region of Xinjiang, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.

“Buildings were trembling and people rushed to the streets,” Jin Xingchang said, an express courier in Hotan city, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) from Pishan.

Security camera footage shows items being rattled around and bottles thrown from store shelves.  Photos taken in the area show people standing among fallen bricks that are now rubble.

A total of 22 military medical teams were dispatched to quake-hit Pishan County in Hotan Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to treat dozens of injured residents.

“Currently, we have set up more than 30 tents. The earthquake-relief medical teams have arrived and are treating injured residents. Then, we will further improve our medical service for locals and help them clear the ruins,” Hu Jianlin, chief of staff of the Southern Xinjiang Military Area Command said.

In Atushi City, 295 kilometers away from Pishan County, residents also felt the quake when it struck the county on Friday morning.

Pishan is at the southern edge of the Taklamakan desert near the border with India and is rich in natural resources including coal, crude oil, natural gas and jade. It is a mostly ethnic Muslim Uighur area.

This report was compiled with information from AP, CCTV, and AFP Forum.