A 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Tajikistan at about 8:37 a.m. (0037 GMT) at a depth of 10 km, said China Central Television (CCTV), citing the China Earthquake Networks Center.
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 province of Xinjiang.
And 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.
She added that her estimates indicate that "a small to no population" is at risk of landslides as a result of this earthquake.
The authority determined the epicenter of the earthquake in Gorno-Badakhshan, a semi-autonomous region located in eastern Tajikistan, on the borders with both Afghanistan and China. And it was only 20 minutes after the earthquake until a 5.0-magnitude aftershock occurred, according to the same source.
The Gorno-Badakhshan region is sparsely populated and surrounded by the majestic Pamir Mountains.
Sarez, which was 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, is a natural dam. Experts warn that the consequences will be catastrophic if this dam collapses.
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.
On February 15, 9 people were killed in an avalanche in Gorno-Badakhshan. On the same day, another person was killed in an avalanche on a highway near the capital, Dushanbe.