M4.2 Earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — 18 June 2026
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was recorded near Khorugh, Tajikistan on , with an epicentre 63 km east of Khorugh, at a focal depth of 189.1 km. It ranked as the 4th strongest of 4 earthquakes recorded in Tajikistan in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2026-06-18 23:00:03
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.2 (light)
Focal depth: 189.1 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 37.5650, 72.2620
Location: 63 km E of Khorugh, Tajikistan
Country: Tajikistan
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 271, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 03:49 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.
This event was deeper than 95% of the 78 earthquakes recorded in Tajikistan in our catalogue and stronger than 29% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 37.5650, 72.2620 — 63 km east of Khorugh. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.3 earthquake 22 km south-southwest of here on 08 July 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Барвоз (35 km southwest), Ванқалъа (35 km northeast), Мирсаид Миршакар (54 km west-southwest) and Murghob (84 km northeast).
Why the 189 km depth matters
At 189 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 189 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
196 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.1 event near Jurm on 27 June 2026. This M4.2 event released about 708 times less energy than that event.
25 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 1 of them in the past 30 days.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the June 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Tajikistan during June 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.3 earthquake near Khandūd, Afghanistan — (22 km SSW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (43 km SW)
- M4.3 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (43 km WSW)
- M4.1 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (47 km NNE)
- M4.8 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (53 km NE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Ishqoshim, Tajikistan — (79 km SW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Khandūd, Afghanistan — (83 km SSE)
- M5.1 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (87 km WSW)
- M4.0 earthquake near Ishqoshim, Tajikistan — (93 km SW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Ashkāsham, Afghanistan — (122 km SSW)
Other recent earthquakes in Tajikistan
- M4.6 earthquake near Rasht, Tajikistan —
- M4.1 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan —
- M4.2 earthquake near Norak, Tajikistan —
- M4.1 earthquake near Murghob, Tajikistan —
- M4.4 earthquake near Kŭlob, Tajikistan —
- M4.4 earthquake near Murghob, Tajikistan —
- M4.5 earthquake near Murghob, Tajikistan —
- M4.5 earthquake near Ishqoshim, Tajikistan —
- M4.4 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan —
- M4.8 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan —
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.3 earthquake near Kaktovik, United States —
- M4.4 earthquake near Pelabuhanratu, Indonesia —
- M4.2 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico —
- M4.5 earthquake near Sipí, Colombia —
- M4.2 earthquake near Levuka, Fiji —
- M4.5 earthquake near Simao, China —
- M4.5 earthquake near Tomioka, Japan —
- M4.5 earthquake near Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Khorugh?
It measured magnitude 4.2 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Khorugh?
The focus was 189 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.
Was the Khorugh earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 4.2 and a focal depth of 189 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.
When did the earthquake near Khorugh happen?
18 June 2026 at 23:00 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Khorugh?
196 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.1 event near Jurm on 27 June 2026. This M4.2 event released about 708 times less energy than that event.