5.6

M5.6 Earthquake 68 km ENE of Khorugh, Tajikistan — June 16, 2020

2020-06-16 01:30:48 UTC (2020-06-16) · approx. 6:30 AM UTC+5 local

Felt by 21 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.6(mww)
Time01:30 UTC≈ 6:30 AM UTC+5
Depth127.0 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates37.834°, 72.204°
Felt by21DYFI responses· max MMI 4.0
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On June 16, 2020 at 01:30 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck 68 km ENE of Khorugh, Tajikistan, at a depth of 127.0 km and coordinates 37.8342°, 72.2035°. The earthquake was reported felt by 21 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.0 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Rushon (population 0).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Nearest Populated Places

Rushonpop. 0
MMI 3.7 (light)
Vanjpop. 0
MMI 3.6 (light)
Roshtqal'apop. 0
MMI 3.5 (light)
Khandudpop. 5,521
MMI 3.5 (light)
Khorughpop. 30,000
MMI 3.6 (light)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 37.83°, 72.20°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.6 earthquake near 68 km ENE of Khorugh, Tajikistan

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 21 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.6 earthquake near 68 km ENE of Khorugh, Tajikistan

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Population exposure (USGS PAGER)

Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.

Shaking intensity (MMI)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak29,356
MMI 4light178,616

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.6 mww
Depth
127.0 km
intermediate depth
Location
37.8342°N
72.2035°E
Felt Reports
21
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
4.0
light
Community Intensity
4.7
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000ack0
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
492
Azimuthal Gap
18.0°
Min Station Distance
0.527°
RMS Residual
0.97 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-22 18:36:32 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan?

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 68 km ENE of Khorugh, Tajikistan on June 16, 2020 at 01:30 UTC had a depth of 127.0 km. It was felt by 21 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.0 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 37.8342°, 72.2035°, which is 68 km ENE of Khorugh, Tajikistan. The nearest populated place is Rushon (population 0).

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ack0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, June 16, 2020). M5.6 Earthquake 68 km ENE of Khorugh, Tajikistan — June 16, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ack0/