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Earthquake rocks coastal communities

    ISLAMABAD

    An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale rocked coastal
    communities along the Caspian Sea on Wednesday night, Turkmenistan
    government officials in Ashgabat confirmed to IRIN on Thursday. The
    epicentre was approximately 85 km from the coast and 50 m below sea level, near the port city of Turkmenbashi. While news reports gave
    conflicting details regarding the quake’s magnitude and whether any
    damage was sustained, Murad Badaev, a spokesman for the Turkmenistan foreign ministry in Ashgabat denied claims of any fatalities or damage.

    He did, however, confirm that the earthquake at its epicentre registered
    7.5 on the Richter scale and 3.5 in the capital city of Ashgabat, over
    500 km away. Some news reports spoke of at least 11 fatalities.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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