A 6.1 magnitude earthquake, with epicenter at Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountain region, occurred at 11:39 p.m. [UTC] on Friday. The tremors could be felt from Tashkent in Uzbekistan to New Delhi in India.
The 6.1 magnitude earthquake centered at Afghanistan's mountainous Hindu Kush region, at a depth of 210 k.m., the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The epicenter of the quake is situated at Jurm in Afghanistan's Badakhshan provice, around 245 kilometres northeast to capital Kabul.
Details of the quake
Loss to life and property is still being ascertained, officials in Kabul told Reuters. The region around the epicenter is a sparsely populated mountainous region. Strong tremors were also felt in neighboring Pakistan, but there has been no immediate reports of any casualty. Tremors were also felt in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and North India.
The tremors are reported to have been felt by about 130 million people, Paris-based EMSC, that monitors and reports on latest quakes, reported.
According to USGS, there are low chances of casualties and damage. The building structures around the center are earthquake-resistant. But the recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and contributed to severe losses.
Region experiences intense seismic activity
Hindu Kush mountain range that stretches about 800 km, along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. The region sits close to the convergence of Eurasian plate with the Indian plate.
The deadliest quake in the region took place last time on October 26, 2015. The magnitude of the quake was 7.7 and had a depth of 212 km. The calamity was so devastating that 399 people, majority of them in Pakistan, died and 2,342 were injured.
In January last year, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck in the Hindu Kush mountain range and killed dozens in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.
