West News Wire: According to the US Geological Service, a number of earthquakes have struck a remote area of Tajikistan bordering China, with the biggest quake measuring magnitude 6.8. (USGS).
USGS and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported that the earthquake occurred at approximately 5:37 a.m. (00:37 GMT) on Thursday roughly 65 km (40 miles) west of Murghob close to the border with China’s Xinjiang province.
The Pamir Mountains’ Murghob, which has a population of a few thousand, serves as the district capital. There were no early reports of casualties.
While being sparsely populated, the region is home to the Sarez Lake, which if interrupted could possibly flood enormous areas in many different nations.
According to USGS, the lake was created in 1911 as a result of a landslide that obstructed the Murghab River. The area has experienced at least 18 earthquakes of a magnitude 6.5 or larger over the last century.
In 2015, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 105km (65 miles) west of Murghob, killing two and destroying hundreds of homes.
During the most recent earthquakes, tremors were felt in capital Dushanbe about 700km (435 miles) to the west.
The quake was strongly felt across the border in some areas of Kashgar prefecture and Kizilsu Kyrgyz autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang, but no casualties or damage has been reported so far, state media CCTV said, citing local information officers.
The China Earthquake Networks Center said it was a magnitude 7.2 quake, with the epicentre 10km (6 miles) deep.
Measurements by different agencies often differ.
