At least 13 people have been killed and more than 80 injured in Uzbekistan by a powerful earthquake centered in neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
The magnitude 6.2 temblor struck early Wednesday in Central Asia's Ferghana Valley region, close to the border between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and 42 kilometers southwest of the Uzbek city of Ferghana.
Uzbek authorities said a number of residential buildings in several towns in the Ferghana Valley were damaged. Emergency workers say 35 of the 86 injured in the quake have been hospitalized. Kyrgyzstan has not reported any casualties.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov ordered emergency officials to act quickly to mitigate the effects of the earthquake and provide assistance to the victims. He has also expressed condolences to the families of those killed by the quake.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
