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.
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.