Significant magnitude 5.5 quake hits 83 km southeast of Uchkuduk, Uzbekistan early morning

Uzbekistan was shaken near Uchkuduk, Bukhara Region, by an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 only 7 minutes ago, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported.
The quake hit at a shallow depth of 11. km beneath the epicenter near Uchkuduk, Bukhara Region, Uzbekistan, early morning on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026, at 1:40 am local time. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), which listed it as a magnitude 5.5 earthquake as well.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.
In Gazli (pop. 8,100) located 37 km from the epicenter, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Uchkuduk (pop. 26,800) located 83 km from the epicenter, Seydi (pop. 17,800) 99 km away, Karakul' (pop. 22,500) 109 km away, Bukhara (pop. 280,200) 128 km away, Bukhara (pop. 280,200) 128 km away, and G'ijduvon Shahri (pop. 43,400) 135 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.


Earthquake data:
Date & time: May 19, 2026 08:40 pm (Universal Time) local time (19 May 2026 20:40 GMT)
Magnitude: 5.5
Depth: 11.00 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 40.34°N / 63.14°E (Bukhara Region, Uzbekistan)
Primary data source: EMSC
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