The Hindukush mountain range is part of a highly seismically active region, where earthquakes are frequent due to the complex tectonic structure. Afghanistan is in the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it vulnerable to earthquakes.
अफगानिस्तानः 5.9 तीव्रता के भूकंप के तेज़ झटकों से दहला हिंदुकुश क्षेत्र
Strong earthquakes were felt in the Hindukush region of Afghanistan on Wednesday morning. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 5.9 on the Richter Scale. “An earthquake struck the Hindukush region of Afghanistan at 4:43 am local time on Wednesday morning. The magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 5.9 on the Richter Scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was 35.83 degrees north latitude and 70.60 degrees east longitude at a depth of 75 kilometers,” the NCS said in a post on X.
There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage to buildings yet, but officials and humanitarian agencies are closely monitoring the situation. The Hindukush mountain range (which stretches across northeastern Afghanistan) is part of a highly seismically active region, where earthquakes occur frequently due to the complex tectonic structure. Afghanistan is located in a collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it particularly vulnerable to seismic activity.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reiterated the country’s high vulnerability to natural disasters and said frequent earthquakes disproportionately affect communities already weakened by decades of conflict and chronic underdevelopment. According to the Red Cross, powerful earthquakes strike Afghanistan every year, particularly in geologically unstable regions such as the Hindukush.
The western province of Herat also lies on a significant fault line, further increasing the country’s seismic risk. In October 2023, several powerful earthquakes, including a magnitude 6.3 quake, devastated western Afghanistan, particularly Herat, killing more than 1,000 people and displacing thousands. That tragedy underscored the urgent need to strengthen disaster response systems and long-term resilience planning in the region.
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