Dozens hurt after M5.2 earthquake hits Shamakhi, Azerbaijan

A shallow earthquake registered by Azerbaijan's Seismology Service Center as M5.2 hit near the city of Shamakhi, Azerbaijan at 19:31 UTC on February 5, 2019 (23:31 local time), injuring dozens of people. The USGS is reporting M5.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), EMSC M5.1 at a depth of 8 km (5 miles). The quake was preceded by M4.4 (USGS) at 19:19 UTC.

The epicenter was located 26.3 km (16.4 miles) NE of Basqal (population 1 234), 30.9 km (19.2 miles) N of Shamakhi (population 29 403), 42.3 km (26.3 miles) NNE of Aghsu (population 17 209) and 42.5 km (26.4 miles) ENE of Ismayilli (population 13 610), Azerbaijan.

The country's Health Ministry said about 30 people living in Shamakhi and nearby villages requested help after the quake. Most were suffering from stress and high blood pressure, it said.

One 58-year-old man sustained severe head injuries and is hospitalized. Three other people suffered limb injuries and were also hospitalized. One person has temporarily lost the ability to speak due to stress.

Azerbaijan's Seismology Service Center says the earthquake hit the Ismayilli district of the Samaxi region, about 120 kilometers west of Baku, and was measured at 6.0 at the epicenter and about 5.3 in nearby districts, Radio Free Europe reports.

Windows on some Shamakhi buildings were shattered and goods in local shops fell from shelves.

Regional seismicity

Featured image credit: Google, EMSC, TW/SAM