Moscow/Bishkek: A powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake that hit the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan Sunday has killed up to 58 people, the US Geological Survey and Russian media reports said early Monday.

The quake hit at 9:52 p.m. Sunday near the Chinese and Tajik borders, with the epicentre 55 km east-south-east of Sary-Tash, Kyrgyzstan at a depth of 35 km.

The civil ministry said 58 people were killed and dozens injured in the devastating quake, according to Interfax news agency.