DUSHANBE, Feb 23 (Reuters) – A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck eastern Tajikistan at 5am.
Tajik officials said what was being felt in China and other neighboring countries.
The earthquake hit the mountainous Gorno He Badakhshan Autonomous Region, which was hit by a series of deadly avalanches earlier this month. It is sparsely populated, but has a large lake called Sareth, whose disturbance could flood vast areas spanning several countries.
Tajik officials said there was no evidence that the lake was disturbed by the earthquake.
With its epicenter about 82 kilometers (50.95 miles) from the nearest border with China, the quake was strongly felt in parts of western China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, including Kashgar and Artux, state broadcaster CCTV said. and its strength was quantified at 7.2.
In the Rushon district of nearby Gorno-Badakhshan, many people ran outside after being awakened by the quake, which was followed by at least two aftershocks, according to locals. Yellen, G7 seek fresh aid to Ukraine as G20 finance chiefs meet
There were no reports of casualties in either Tajikistan or China. State media Xinhua reported that power and communications in Kashgar remained normal.
The Xinjiang Railway Authority has suspended passenger trains running between Aksu Kashgar on the South Xinjiang Railway, state media said.
Local authorities inspected bridges, tunnels and signaling systems, CCTV said.
