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Report: Quake in central Asia kills 13

By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The quake struck the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border
  • USGS said the magnitude was 6.1
  • One person said, "Everybody was in horror"
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(CNN) -- A strong earthquake rattled Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan early Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and injuring many more, Uzbekistan's national news agency reported.

The epicenter of the quake, registered at a 6.1 magnitude by the U.S. Geological Survey, was reported in Kyrgyzstan, but the tremors jolted nearby areas in eastern Uzbekistan, including Fergana city and province.

Buildings in the Fergana region sustained damage, and as a result, the 13 people died and 86 others were treated by emergency medical workers, the news agency said, citing the Emergency Ministry of Uzbekistan.

Muhayyo Mahmudova, resident of the Asia Hotel in the Fergana Valley, said the quake was short and shocking. Luckily, she said, there were no injuries at the hotel.

"I was thinking it was the end of my life," she said. "Everybody was in horror. I can't experience it in any other words. I'm still in horror."

"Thanks to God we're OK."

It was "very very short" but "very strong," said Nazir Turgunov, chairman of a bank in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, also in the east.

Shelves moved and dishes fell as the shaking jarred him awake but Turgunov said there was no noticeable structural damage to his home.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov said the government is working to help people affected by the quake and the country's leadership expressed its condolences to victims.