Impact of Earthquake that Strikes Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

The Ferghana valley is split between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and is one of Central Asia's most densely populated areas. A quake struck at 0135 on Wednesday (1935 GMT Tuesday) in that region. 

According to local people earthquake had lasted for about three minutes. The Uzbek emergency ministry said the quake, in the Ferghana valley, killed at least 13 people and injured 86 people. Kyrgyzstan has so far reported no casualties. People were on the streets all night. There was a lot of panic.

It was centred 42km (26 miles) south-west of the city of Ferghana at a depth of 18km (USGS). As a result of the earthquake, some old buildings were destroyed in the Ferghana region. The Uzbek Government  has ordered officials to the region to inspect the damage, as have the Kyrgyz authorities.

Subduction Zones-Purple, Ridges-Red and Transform Faults Green

Central Asia has a rich history of earthquakes. In 1966 the Uzbek capital Tashkent were flattened by a magnitude 7.5 quake. More than 70 people died in a 2008 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Kyrgyzstan.