Kathmandu: A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Afghanistan’s south-eastern region on Thursday night, the third quake to hit the country in less than a week, BBC reported.
The shallow tremor hit at 20:56 local time (15:36 GMT), shaking Nangarhar and Kunar provinces and sending residents rushing out of shelters. While there has been no official confirmation of casualties, medics told the BBC that 17 injured people were admitted to Kunar Provincial Hospital.
The quake comes as Afghanistan is still reeling from Sunday’s disaster, which killed at least 1,368 people and injured more than 2,180 others, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The UN said casualties were reported from 25 villages, many of which remain cut off due to landslides in the mountainous terrain.
Rescue and relief operations have been hampered by the region’s rough geography, with helicopters serving as the main mode of transport. A second quake of magnitude 5.5 on Tuesday also temporarily halted operations, while aftershocks continue to rattle the area.
“Rescue and search efforts are still ongoing, tents have been set up in various areas, and first aid and emergency supplies are being delivered,” Taliban government deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on X.
The Taliban administration, recognized only by Russia, has appealed for international support. The UN has released emergency funds, and the UK has pledged £1 million ($1.3m) in aid, BBC reported.
Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes due to its location on the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. In 2023, more than 1,400 people were killed in a series of quakes near Herat, while in 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake struck eastern Afghanistan, leaving at least 1,000 dead and 3,000 injured.
–BBC