Powerful magnitude 6.3 quake hits north Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region

Two months after a quake in the impoverished country’s east, a powerful earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck northern Afghanistan, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

At 12:59 am local time (20: 29 GMT), the USGS announced overnight that the earthquake struck in Kholm, near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, at a revised depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles) at 12:59 am local time (GMT). The AFP news agency’s correspondents in Kabul, which is based there, felt it.

The initial estimate for the depth was 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Local authorities broadcast emergency phone numbers to call, but they did not immediately report any fatalities or injuries.

An AFP correspondent observed that many people in Mazar-i-Sharif fled into the street because they worried their homes might collapse.

Since coming to power in 2021, the Taliban government has been the subject of a number of significant earthquakes, including one in the western Herat region near Iran, which left over 1,500 people dead and more than 63, 000 homes destroyed.

The country’s east on August 31 experienced the deadliest tremor in recent Afghan history, a shallow 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck this year, killing more than 2,200 people.

The country is frequently hit by earthquakes, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, which is close to the intersection of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

After decades of fighting, Afghanistan has experienced numerous crises, including severe drought, severe drought, and the forced return of millions of Afghans from neighboring Pakistan and Iran.

Poor infrastructure and the poor construction of many modest Afghan homes impede rescue efforts in the wake of natural disasters like earthquakes.