DUSAMBÉ, Feb 23 (Reuters) – A 6.8-magnitude dirt bike landed in Tayikistan at 5:37 a.m. local time (0037 GMT) for young people, informing the Tayika autoridades, in a temblor that happened in China y otros neighboring countries.
The quake hit the mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, which was hit by a series of deadly avalanches earlier this month. Although sparsely populated, it is home to a large lake, the Sarez, which, if overflowed, could flood a vast area spanning several countries.
According to the Tajik authorities, there is no indication that the earthquake disturbed the lake.
The epicenter was located about 82 kilometers from the nearest border with China, and the quake was strongly felt in some areas of China’s western Xinjiang region, such as Kashgar and Artux, according to Chinese state television. CCTV, which located its magnitude at 7.2 degrees.
In nearby Rushon district of Gorno-Badakhshan, a local resident said many people fled after being awakened by the quake, which was followed by at least two aftershocks.
No casualties were reported either in Tajikistan or China. Power supply and communications remained normal in Kashgar, state media Xinhua reported.
(Reporting by Nazarali Purnazarov and Beijing staff; Spanish editing by Tomás Cobos)