M5.1 Earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — 27 April 2026
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was recorded near Khorugh, Tajikistan on , with an epicentre 26 km southwest of Khorugh, at a focal depth of 105.1 km. It ranked as the 2nd strongest of 3 earthquakes recorded in Tajikistan in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2026-04-27 06:46:08
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 5.1 (moderate)
Focal depth: 105.1 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 37.3466, 71.3121
Location: 26 km SW 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?
Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake radiates roughly 674 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 400, 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 11:31 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.
This event was deeper than 55% of the 78 earthquakes recorded in Tajikistan in our catalogue and stronger than 94% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 37.3466, 71.3121 — 26 km southwest of Khorugh. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 40 km southeast of here on 28 July 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Мирсаид Миршакар (35 km east), Ishqoshim (62 km south-southeast), Барвоз (62 km east) and Jokham (91 km south-southwest).
Why the 105 km depth matters
At 105 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 can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. 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 M5.1 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 105 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.
213 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 M5.1 event released about 32 times less energy than that event.
59 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 7 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 April 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Tajikistan during April 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.5 earthquake near Ishqoshim, Tajikistan — (40 km SE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (46 km E)
- M4.2 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan — (47 km SSW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (55 km E)
- M4.1 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan — (56 km SSW)
- M4.2 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan — (66 km SSW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Ashkāsham, Afghanistan — (71 km S)
- M4.3 earthquake near Khandūd, Afghanistan — (72 km E)
- M4.1 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan — (73 km SSW)
- M4.0 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan — (75 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 5 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.1 earthquake near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands —
- M4.8 earthquake near Bahía Solano, Colombia —
- M5.0 earthquake near Dunhuang, China —
- M5.0 earthquake near Ocós, Guatemala —
- M4.8 earthquake near Tual, Indonesia —
- M4.8 earthquake near Tadine, New Caledonia —
- M4.8 earthquake near Lautoka, Fiji —
- M4.9 earthquake near Patea, New Zealand —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Khorugh?
It measured magnitude 5.1 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake radiates roughly 674 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Khorugh?
The focus was 105 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.
Was the Khorugh earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 5.1 and a focal depth of 105 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.
When did the earthquake near Khorugh happen?
27 April 2026 at 06:46 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?
213 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 M5.1 event released about 32 times less energy than that event.