Powerful earthquake hits Pakistan and Afghanistan, no damage reported yet
Powerful earthquake hits Pakistan and Afghanistan (Getty Images)
A big earthquake, measuring 6.4, happened in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The earthquake's epicenter was in the Hindu Kush mountain range in Afghanistan. This is the third major earthquake in Afghanistan in three months, according to ABC News.
The earthquake was 45 kilometers from Jurm village in northeastern Afghanistan, and it was at a depth of around 200 kilometers (125 miles). The earthquake was also felt in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, and in the east and northeast provinces.
Luckily, there are no immediate reports of damage in either country. “Based on initial information, we don’t have any reports of casualties but we are checking in the areas near the epicenter of the earthquake and we will share the final information once we have it,” said Moezuddin Ahmadi, the Afghan province of Badakhshan director of information and culture.
People in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, and other big cities like Lahore, Peshawar, and Muzaffarabad in the disputed Kashmir region felt the earthquake.
Bilal Faizi, who speaks for emergency services in Pakistan's northwest, mentioned that the police and rescue teams received instructions to inform about any damage.
“So far, there has been no reported damage from the earthquake, though the earthquake was so strong that it terrified many people,” he notes.
This area often gets earthquakes because it is located along a zone where tectonic plates meet.
Recent earthquakes
On January 1, it became known about strong earthquakes in Japan. In total, over 100 were recorded within 12 hours. The most powerful one had a magnitude of 7.6. At least 57 people died, and buildings in several populated areas of the country have been severely damaged.
On December 18, 2023, the most powerful earthquake in recent years happened in China with a magnitude of 6.2. It struck remote regions between the Chinese provinces of Gansu and Qinghai. 149 people died, approximately 1,000 people were injured as a result of the earthquake, and over 87,000 individuals were displaced.
