A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit northern Afghanistan overnight, felt in Kabul, following recent deadly tremors in the impoverished nation
MAZAR-I-SHARIF: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan early on Monday according to the United States Geological Survey.
The latest quake hit in the early hours of the morning at a depth of 28 kilometres with the epicentre near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or major damage in the hours after the quake.
Poor communication networks and infrastructure have in the past hampered disaster response in the mountainous country.
This situation often prevents authorities from reaching far-flung villages to assess the extent of damage for hours or even days.
The quake sent residents of Mazar-i-Sharif running into the streets due to fears their homes would collapse.
Shaking was felt around 420 kilometres south by correspondents in the capital Kabul.
It is the latest natural disaster for the Taliban government which has faced three major deadly earthquakes since taking over the country in 2021.
Foreign aid that formed the backbone of the country’s economy has dramatically dropped during this period.
In August a shallow 6.0-magnitude quake in the country’s east wiped out mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people.
Large tremors in western Herat near the Iranian border in 2023 and in eastern Nangarhar province in 2022 killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes.
The United Nations and aid agencies have warned hunger is rising in the Afghan population.
The isolated country is suffering from a humanitarian crisis compounded by drought and economic restrictions on the banking sector.
This crisis is further exacerbated by the pushback of millions of Afghan citizens from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.
Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range.
This area is near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.
Many homes in the predominantly rural country devastated by decades of war are shoddily built.
It often takes hours or even days to travel by steep roads and paths to remote villages.
These villages are often cut off from help during disasters or poor weather. – AFP
