Tajikistan hit by 5.1-magnitude earthquake

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The central Asian republic of Tajikistan was hit by a 5.1-magnitude earthquake Saturday, a duty officer at a seismological station in Dushanbe said.

The unidentified officer told ITAR-Tass the earthquake struck Tajikistan at 7:15 a.m. local time. The Tajik Emergency Situations Committee said there were no confirmed reports of damages following the quake.

Seismologists said Tajikistan's southern and eastern regions were hit hardest by the temblor, which registered a magnitude of only 2.0 in the capital city.