People wait at an entrance to the south railway station of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, after an explosion on April 30. People in the square in front of the station and nearby were evacuated immediately after the blast, and police cordoned off all entrances to the square of the station. [Photo by Gao Bo/China Daily]

URUMQI - A blast occurred at a railway station in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday evening.

The explosion happened around 7 p.m. at the exit of the Urumqi south railway station. The blast was centered around some luggage left on the ground between the station exit and a public bus stop, witnesses told Xinhua.

The blast was powerful. A man at a nearby hotel said he thought it was an earthquake.

Police have cordoned off all entrances to the station square of the station and armed police have been deployed. As of 8:30 p.m, the square was still closed. Train services have been suspended. The number of casualties remains unclear.

The station is one of the three railway stations in the city, and the largest in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang intercity railway lines linking Urumqi with Kuytun, Shihezi, Karamay cities are expected to start operation in the station on Thursday. An opening ceremony will be launched on the same day.