Home News Afghanistan earthquake of magnitude 5.9 kills at least 8

Afghanistan earthquake of magnitude 5.9 kills at least 8

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Hindu Kush region is a highly seismically active geographic location [File photo: June 2025, Kabul]

Authorities said that damage remains under assessment and may be delayed because of the remoteness of the center of the quake. Tremors were also felt in parts of Pakistan and India, including in Islamabad and New Delhi.

Hindu Kush region is a highly seismically active geographic location [File photo: June 2025, Kabul]
At least eight people were killed in Kabul after an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 rattled parts of northern Afghanistan and western Pakistan late Friday, officials said.

The quake was centered in the Hindu Kush mountain range, about 150 kilometers east of the Afghan city of Kunduz, and was felt across Afghanistan, and in parts of Pakistan and India.

The quake was at a depth of 177 kilometers (110 miles), the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said.

Earthquake topples homes in Afghanistan

Eight members of a family were killed, and a child was injured when a house collapsed on the outskirts of Kabul, Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesperson for the Kabul governor, said.

Authorities said that a solid assessment of damage could potentially be delayed because of the remoteness of the epicenter of the earthquake.

Health officials across Afghanistan were placed on alert.

Tremors felt in Pakistan and India

In Pakistan, the quake was felt in the cities and towns of Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat and Shangla, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

In India, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kargil also experienced the tremors, local media reports said.

Deadly earthquakes in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is prone to deadly earthquakes. Last August, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan’s mountainous Kunar province killed more than 2,200 people and injured thousands more.

In October 2023, a 6.3 magnitude quake near Herat city in western Afghanistan killed thousands of people.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

DW News