Powerful Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake Rattles Eastern Tajikistan - USGS

In 2015 the deadliest earthquake to strike within 300 kilometers of Murghob, Tajikistan was a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that resulted in 399 casualties. In 1911 a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the area, leading to 90 casualties.

A powerful magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck eastern Tajikistan early Thursday, officials with the US Geological Survey (USGS) have confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Chinese seismological center has rated the quake at 7.3 on the Richter scale.

The USGS also recorded three aftershocks following the earthquake, one of which occurred 86 kilometers west of Murghob measuring a magnitude of 5.0 and struck the area about eight minutes following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake. The second aftershock was a 4.6 magnitude earthquake 103 kilometers west of Murghob.

The third aftershock struck the area and was measured to be a 4.9 magnitude earthquake and hit the area about 60 kilometers west of Murghob. The fourth aftershock occurred over an hour after the initial earthquake about 64 kilometers west of Murghob and measured at a magnitude level of 4.8.

One person in Kazakhstan, about 657 kilometers northeast of the epicenter, said that the earthquake was "very noticeable" on the first floor of their building. Another said there were tremors in Almaty, Kazakhstan, about the same distance from the epicenter.

Another eyewitness in Almaty said they were on the 26th floor where their chandeliers were shaking from the effects of the earthquake. Another testimony said the shaking lasted for at least 10 seconds.

"It was continuous shaking for almost a minute. Terrifying," said an eyewitness in Pakistan about 491 kilometers south from the epicenter.

About 100 earthquakes measured between 6.1 and 6.9 magnitudes occur every year. These earthquakes can cause a lot of damage in very populated areas, according to Michigan Tech University.