<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Tajikistan on Thursday morning, with tremors strongly shaking parts of neighbouring China.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The quake hit around 8.37am Beijing local time at a depth of 6 miles, Chinese state media CCTV reported, citing the China Earthquake Networks Center.</div><div><br></div><div>The epicentre was located nearly 82km from the nearest border with China and was felt across the Xinjiang region, including Kashgar and Artux.</div><div><br></div><div>The epicentre appeared to be in Gorno-Badakhshan, a semi-autonomous and sparsely populated eastern region dominated by the towering Pamir Mountains.</div><div><br></div><div>So far there have been no reports of injuries or casualties.</div><div><br></div><div>The region was hit by two aftershocks of magnitude 5 and 4.6 about 20 minutes after the initial jolt.</div><div><br></div><div>The USGS estimated that “little or no population” would be exposed to landslides from the quake. - Independent&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>