AVA - Earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale shakes eastern Afghanistan; casualties and damage in Nangarhar and Kunar

Earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale shakes eastern Afghanistan; casualties and damage in Nangarhar and Kunar

A 6 on the Richter scale earthquake shook eastern Afghanistan at midnight on Sunday, causing casualties and financial losses in several provinces. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was recorded 35 kilometers north of the village of "Basawal" in Mohmand Dara district of Nangarhar province and at a depth of 10 kilometers. According to local reports, the earthquake caused extensive damage and casualties in Dara Noor district of Nangarhar province. The earthquake occurred at 11:47 pm local time, and about 20 minutes later, an aftershock measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred in the same area.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, wrote on the X social network: "Unfortunately, the earthquake tonight has caused casualties and financial losses to our people in some of our eastern provinces. Local officials and people are trying to rescue the injured, and aid teams from the center and nearby provinces have also been dispatched to the area.”

The earthquake has also shaken various provinces, including Kabul and some areas of Pakistan.

However, according to local officials in Nangarhar province, the number of martyrs in Dara Noor district has so far reached 9 people and the number of injured has reached 20. Among them, two children died and four others were injured.

Also, in the village of “Stan” in Dara Noor district, the roof of a house collapsed due to the earthquake, which took the lives of two children and injured four others.

Reports indicate that six other injured people have been transferred from Jalalabad city to a district hospital, where their physical condition has been declared satisfactory.

Naqibullah Rahimi, spokesman for the Nangarhar Provincial Public Health Department, announced the number of injured people transferred to local hospitals as 15. Local officials have warned that the current toll is not final and is likely to increase.

The leadership of Nangarhar province has ordered security, public health and emergency management agencies to be on alert and has called for immediate assistance to affected families.

Afghanistan is prone to severe earthquakes due to its location at the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. On October 7, 2023, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed more than 4,000 people, making it the country's deadliest natural disaster in decades. Earlier, in July 2022, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake in the east of the country killed more than 1,000 people and injured at least 1,500.