6.8 magnitude earthquake hits eastern Tajikistan

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit eastern Tajikistan on Thursday, the USGS seismological institute said.

The earthquake occurred around 5:37 a.m. local time (0:37 a.m. GMT) at a depth of some 20.5 kilometers.

The USGS estimated that “few or no residents” will be exposed to landslides from the quake.

Its epicenter appears to be in Gorno-Badakhshan, a semi-autonomous region in the east of the country that borders Afghanistan and China, about 67 kilometers from the small mountain town of Murghob.

A magnitude 5.0 aftershock rocked the region about 20 minutes after the initial quake, followed by a magnitude 4.6 tremor.


Seismograph and earthquake

This sparsely populated territory is surrounded by towering Pamir Mountains and is home to Lake Sarez.

The aquamarine-colored body of water, formed as a result of an earthquake in 1911, is one of the largest lakes in Tajikistan.

Behind Lake Sarez, in the heart of the Pamir Mountains, lies a natural dam, and experts have warned that the consequences would be catastrophic if it were breached.

Tajikistan — like much of Central Asia — is highly prone to natural disasters and frequently experiences floods, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and heavy snowfalls.

Nine people died in an avalanche on February 15 in Gorno-Badakhshan. Another person was killed the same day in an avalanche on a highway near the capital, Dushanbe.


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