Powerful earthquake hits Afghanistan, leaving several dead and over hundred injured
Photo: the last earthquake in Afghanistan occurred in August this year (Getty Images)
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan overnight on November 3, with tremors felt even in the capital, Kabul, according to Al Jazeera.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that the earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, with the epicenter located 28 kilometers deep.
Residents reportedly rushed into the streets in the middle of the night, fearing building collapses. Initially, there were no reports of casualties, but by morning, it was confirmed that at least seven people had been killed and around 150 were injured.
According to the USGS, the quake triggered an orange alert level, indicating the likelihood of significant casualties and potentially widespread damage.
Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, Al Jazeera notes. This year alone, the country has already endured two major quakes, one on August 31 in the east, measuring 6.0 magnitude and killing over 2,200 people, and another in October 2023 in Herat, where more than 1,500 people died and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed.
According to Al Jazeera, poor infrastructure, combined with poverty, drought, and the recent influx of returnees from Pakistan and Iran, makes rescue operations after natural disasters extremely difficult.
Seismologist Brian Bapty from the British Geological Survey said that since 1900, northeastern Afghanistan has experienced at least 12 earthquakes with magnitudes above 7.0.
Previous earthquakes in Afghanistan
On August 31 this year, a 6.0-magnitude quake struck eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, killing over 2,200 people and injuring thousands. Several villages were destroyed.
In October 2023, a powerful earthquake hit western Herat, killing more than 1,500 people and destroying tens of thousands of buildings, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the country’s recent history.
