AN EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 5.5 ON THE RICHTER SCALE KILLED AT LEAST THREE CHILDREN AND LEFT MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE WITHOUT SHELTER IN THE SOUTH OF TAJIKISTAN, THE EMERGENCIES MINISTRY SAID ON SUNDAY. THE EARTHQUAKE, WHOSE EPICENTRE WAS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN ABOUT 180 KM (112 MILES) SOUTH OF THE TAJIK CAPITAL DUSHANBE, HIT AT 3:57 PM (1057 GMT) ON SATURDAY. AT LEAST 19 PEOPLE WERE INJURED AND SOME WERE IN A SERIOUS CONDITION. A REUTERS WITNESS SAID THE QUAKE HAD ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED THREE VILLAGES, INCLUDING ZAMINI NAV, IN TAJIKISTAN'S QUMSANGIR DISTRICT NEAR THE BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN.
