DUSHANBE, July 23, Asia-Plus — A devastating earthquake rocked the northeast part of Tajikistan, some 15 kilometers northeast of Dushanbe Sunday morning. 

According to the Institute of Seismology, the tremor with epicenter in the Rasht district, some 35 kilometers of Gharm, the administrative center of the Rasht district, occurred in the early morning of Sunday, at around 3:44 a.m.  The earthquake’s magnitude in the epicenter was 6.0 on a 12-point scale.  

The tremor measuring 3.0 on the 12-point scale could also be felt in Dushanbe.

According to the Committee for Emergency Situations (CES), the earthquake killed three persons and damaged residential buildings in five villages of the Rasht district.  

Specialists from CES yesterday visit the Rasht district to closely monitor the situation the source said.