KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least eight people were killed in Afghanistan after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 shook regions of western Pakistan and northern and eastern Afghanistan late Friday, according to authorities.
Thousands of people have died in recent years as a result of the area’s strong seismic activity. According to the U.S. Geological Survey and the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center, the epicenter of Friday’s earthquake was located in the Hindu Kush mountain range, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of the Afghan city of Kunduz.
A house collapsed on the outskirts of the city, killing eight people and injuring a child, according to Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the governor of Kabul. They were all members of the same family, he claimed.
About 290 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of the epicenter is Kabul. Areas nearer the epicenter did not immediately report any damage or injuries. Due to the remote location, it frequently takes several hours for local authorities to get information back to Kabul.
The earthquake rocked a large portion of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the epicenter located more than 180 kilometers below the surface. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, it was felt in the towns and cities of Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat, and Shangla. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in Pakistan.
Kabul and provincial health authorities have been placed on high notice, according to Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Health Ministry.
Over 2,200 people were murdered in a 6.0 earthquake that struck a remote, mountainous area of eastern Afghanistan in August of last year. The earthquake destroyed villages and trapped people under debris. The province of Kunar, where residents usually reside in mud-brick and wood homes along steep hillsides, saw the majority of the victims.
A 6.3 earthquake that shook Samangan province in northern Afghanistan in November left over 950 people injured and at least 27 dead. Historical landmarks like the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm and Afghanistan’s renowned Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif were also devastated.
Thousands of people were killed on October 7, 2023, when a 6.3 earthquake in western Afghanistan caused severe aftershocks.
Responding to natural calamities is frequently challenging for impoverished Afghanistan, particularly in isolated areas. Mud bricks and wood are used to construct a large number of badly constructed dwellings in rural and distant places.
