Shallow M5.5 Earthquake struck on Friday Afternoon 190km from Dushanbe in Tajikistan.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 3rd, 2026. Last updated April 5th, 2026.

In the afternoon of Friday April 3rd, 2026, a shallow and significant M5.5 earthquake hit under land 190 kilometer from Dushanbe in Tajikistan. Around 18 million people have been exposed to shaking. Other nearby countries are Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Tajikistan, 190 kilometer (118 mi) east of Dushanbe. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Apr 3, 2026 15:26 (Dushanbe Time) - Apr 3, 2026 10:26 Universal Time.
Location:	190 km east of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Coordinates 38°53'48"N 70°55'1"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 175 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.045 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 18 million people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 18 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 2,940 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 17 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 4 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 8 million people were exposed to shaking in Tajikistan , with level VI (strong shaking, probably light damage) as the highest recorded. In Kyrgyzstan , around 1.8 million people. In Afghanistan , around 1.6 million people. People were exposed to shaking in Uzbekistan as well.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Tajikistan , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are all within 300km distance of its epicenter.

Isfara in Sughd, Tajikistan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 139 kilometer (86 mi) south of Isfara. The intensity of shaking and damage in Isfara is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Dushanbe is located 190 km to the west and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Namangan is located 242 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Qo‘qon is located 181 km to the north and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VII.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Uzbekistan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Qarshi, Ķaşķadarya, Uzbekistan: 1 person.

Risk of aftershocks?

We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

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.

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 October 17th, 2025, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 290 km (180 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on February 23rd, 2023.

In total, 28 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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 4 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 05/04/26 13:38 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000smbl
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260403_0000269
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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