World: 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits Tajikistan near border with China

A Sparsely populated and remote region of Tajikistan nearby China’s far western Xinjiang region, on Thursday, witnessed a 6.8 magnitude earthquake.

The quake, which reportedly occurred 67 kilometres west of Murghob, Tajikistan early Thursday, was 20 kilometres underground, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicentre of the earthquake is said to be 82 km from the nearest border with China.

Located in the Pamir Mountains, the district capital, Mughrob, has a population of only a few thousand.
The earthquake was felt strongly in several sections of Kashgar prefecture and Kizilsu Kyrgyz autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang. However, no injuries have been reported as of now, according to local media reports.

The earthquake was reported to be 7.2 magnitude on the richter scale and 10 kilometers deep by the China Earthquake Networks Center.