A significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck under land 179 kilometer from Khorugh in Tajikistan in the night of Friday January 9th, 2026. Other countries near the epicenter include Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China and Afghanistan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Tajikistan, 179 kilometer (111 mi) east-northeast of Khorugh in Gorno-Badakhshan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 140 km.
| Date and Time: | Jan 9, 2026 02:14 (Dushanbe Time) - Jan 8, 2026 21:14 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 265 km WSW of Kashgar, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 38°19'20"N 73°18'4"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 12 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.089 . |
| Depth: | 140 km (87 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
5 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Tajikistan , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , China and Afghanistan .
Located 179 kilometer (111 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Khorugh (Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Kashgar is located 265 km to the east-northeast. Andijon is located 286 km to the north-northwest. Osh is located 249 km to the north.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 179 km (111 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Khorugh Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishqoshim Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kyzyl-Kyya Batken, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 240 km (149 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Iradan Batken, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Quvasoy Fergana, Uzbekistan. |
| 249 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Osh Osh, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 264 km (164 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Fergana Fergana, Uzbekistan. |
| 265 km (165 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kashgar Xinjiang, China. |
| 266 km (165 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Quva Fergana, Uzbekistan. |
| 268 km (167 mi) N from epicenter |
Kara Suu Osh, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kirguli Fergana, Uzbekistan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Xo‘jaobod Andijon, Uzbekistan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) N from epicenter |
Uzgen Osh, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) N from epicenter |
Qo‘rg‘ontepa Andijon, Uzbekistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Toshloq Fergana, Uzbekistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) N from epicenter |
Sultonobod Andijon, Uzbekistan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Fayzabad Badakhshan, Afghanistan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Asaka Andijon, Uzbekistan. |
| 275 km (171 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Marg‘ilon Fergana, Uzbekistan. |
| 279 km (173 mi) NW from epicenter |
Oltiariq Fergana, Uzbekistan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) N from epicenter |
Dardoq Andijon, Uzbekistan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) N from epicenter |
Oyim Andijon, Uzbekistan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Andijon Andijon, Uzbekistan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) N from epicenter |
Jalal-Abad Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan. |
Shaking reported by 5 people in 3 countries
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 5 people have reported shaking in 4 places in 3 countries (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Islamabad, Federal Capital Area, Pakistan: 2 people.
- Oş, Oş, Kyrgyzstan: 1 person.
- Quva, Fargʿona, Uzbekistan: 1 person.
- Baffa, North-West Frontier, Pakistan: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 1 smaller aftershock. At a distance of 86 km (53 mi) north-northeast of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 18 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 3
Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.3 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
3 days earlier Jan 6, 2026 10:38 (Dushanbe Time) | 95 km (59 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
2 hrs earlier Jan 9, 2026 00:08 (Dushanbe Time) | 51 km (31 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jan 9, 2026 02:14 (Dushanbe Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
18 hrs later Jan 9, 2026 19:48 (Dushanbe Time) | 86 km (53 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since January 8th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 152 km (94 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on February 23rd, 2023.
In total, 36 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 140 km (87 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 26/01/26 23:08 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rnjd
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260108_0000305
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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