At least 9 killed after 6.0 earthquake strikes northeastern Afghanistan

A strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck northeastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 20, according to seismologists and Taliban officials.

The earthquake struck at 11:47 p.m. local time in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The epicenter was located in a mountainous area about 26 miles (42 kilometers) from Jalālābād, a city of roughly 280,000 people.

A provincial health spokesperson for the Taliban government said the earthquake left nine people dead, including at least two children, in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. Another 25 people were injured, and rescue operations are ongoing.

According to USGS estimates, between 100 and 1,000 deaths are possible as a result of the earthquake, with more than 67,000 people exposed to very strong shaking.

Shaking from the earthquake was felt across a wide area, including as far as New Delhi in India. Tremors were also reported in several parts of Pakistan, including Islamabad and Lahore.

According to the USGS, seismic activity in the Himalaya and Hindu Kush region is driven by the ongoing collision of the India and Eurasia tectonic plates. This process generates frequent earthquakes, making the area one of the most seismically hazardous regions in the world.

The Hindu Kush in northern Afghanistan is especially notable for producing deep earthquakes, sometimes occurring as far as 100 miles below the surface due to remnants of a subducting slab. The region has a history of destructive quakes, including the 1935 Quetta earthquake in Pakistan, which killed tens of thousands, and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which left over 80,000 dead.