7.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Tajikistan Near Border with China

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Tajikistan at about 8:37 a.m. (0037 GMT) at a depth of 10 km, China Central Television (CCTV) said. The television stated that the epicenter of the quake was about 82 km from the nearest point from the border with China, and it was felt by residents in the cities of Kashgar and Artesh on the western side of the Chinese region of Xinjiang.

The area hit by the earthquake does not have a dense population, but it has Lake Sarez, which means that large areas are threatened with flooding in a number of countries.

For its part, the US Geological Survey announced that the earthquake had its epicenter at a depth of 20.5 km, and determined its magnitude to be 6.8 on the Richter scale.

Tajikistan, like most of the countries of Central Asia, is highly vulnerable to natural disasters.

This country often witnesses floods, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, and heavy snowfall.