A magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook Afghanistan late Friday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported. According to the NCS, the tremor occurred at 10:55 PM IST at a depth of 10 km, 110 km east of Kabul.
The NCS shared on X, “EQ of M: 5.0, On: 05/09/2025 22:55:53 IST, Lat: 34.45 N, Long: 70.41 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Afghanistan.”
Earlier, a 4.5 magnitude quake hit Afghanistan on Friday. The NCS noted it was at a shallow depth of 10 km, making it prone to aftershocks. On X, they stated, “EQ of M: 4.5, On: 05/09/2025 11:07:46 IST, Lat: 34.56 N, Long: 70.68 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Afghanistan.”
Stay updated with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Five shallow aftershocks, peaking at magnitude 5.6, were recorded by the US Geological Survey, affecting Kabul and parts of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, according to AFP.
National disaster authority spokesman Mohammad Hammad told AFP that 10 people were injured across eight provinces, including the severely affected Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman, adding to over 3,700 injuries from the initial quake.
Shallow earthquakes pose greater danger than deeper ones due to the stronger surface shaking caused by their seismic waves, potentially resulting in significant damage and casualties.
Earlier, three earthquakes struck the region in one day.
Rescuers have retrieved hundreds of bodies from the mountainous southeastern areas of Afghanistan, where a major earthquake hit over the weekend, raising the death toll above 2,200, a Taliban government spokesperson told Al Jazeera.
Sunday’s quake was one of the deadliest in recent times, partly due to its shallow epicenter at around 8 km depth, Al Jazeera reported.
At least 3,640 people were injured during the magnitude 6 quake on Sunday and a subsequent magnitude 5.5 quake on Tuesday, according to the Taliban. The United Nations warned that the death toll might increase as more individuals remain trapped under debris, especially in the hardest-hit provinces like Kunar.
