Kabul: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan's northeastern Kunar province late Sunday night. Around 800 people were reportedly killed in the massive quake, while around 1500 others sustained injuries. Tremors were also felt in some parts of Pakistan.
According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the quake occurred at 00:47:41 IST, with its epicentre located at latitude 34.50degN and longitude 70.81degE, at a depth of 160 km. "EQ of M: 6.3, On: 01/09/2025 00:47:41 IST, Lat: 34.50 N, Long: 70.81 E, Depth: 160 Km, Location: Afghanistan," NCS stated in a post on X.
At least nine casualties were also reported in Nangarhar. The number of casualties could also rise as authorities are finding it difficult to access the affected area due to its location. “The number of casualties and injuries is high, but since the area is difficult to access, our teams are still on site,” health minister Sharafat Zaman said, as quoted by The Times of India.
The local administration has launched a rescue operation. The injured people were shifted to hospitals. The earthquake struck at a shallow depth of around 8–10 km. Houses were destroyed in the area, bordering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
According to the NCS, this initial earthquake was followed by aftershocks with magnitudes ranging between four and five.
Shallow and intermediate earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes as the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures, as well as greater casualties.
According to the Red Cross, Afghanistan has a history of powerful earthquakes as and the Hindu Kush Mountain range is a geologically active area where quakes occur every year.
