China records strong earthquake in Turkmenistan

December 7, 2000
Web posted at: 11:55 AM HKT (0355 GMT)

BEIJING (Reuters) -- An earthquake measuring magnitude 7.4 rocked the central Asian nation of Turkmenistan late on Wednesday, the China Seismological Bureau said.

A Bureau official told Reuters the earthquake struck at 1711 GMT on Wednesday with the epicentre at 39.3 degrees north latitude and 54.6 degrees east longitude, a point which lies northwest of the Turkmeni capital Ashgabat.

He said he was told U.S. seismological monitors had recorded a quake measuring magnitude 7.2 at the same time.

The China Seismological Bureau had also recorded several mild aftershocks, but had not been informed by Turkmeni counterparts about damage or casualties, the official said.

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