Earthquake of magnitude 5.9 strikes Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan

Kabul, April 16 (IANS) In the early hours of Wednesday, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

The tremor occurred at 04.43 a.m. IST (local time), with the epicentre located at latitude 35.83 degrees North and longitude 70.60 degrees East, at a depth of 75 kilometres.

The NCS shared the details on X, stating: "EQ of M: 5.9, On: 16/04/2025 04:43:58 IST, Lat: 35.83 N, Long: 70.60 E, Depth: 75 Km, Location: Hindu Kush, Afghanistan."

There are no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage, but authorities and humanitarian agencies are closely monitoring the situation.

The Hindu Kush mountain range, which stretches across northeastern Afghanistan, is part of a highly seismically active zone where earthquakes are frequent due to the region’s complex tectonic setting.

Afghanistan lies along the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which makes it especially prone to seismic activity.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reiterated the country’s extreme vulnerability to natural disasters, noting that frequent earthquakes disproportionately impact communities already weakened by decades of conflict and chronic under-development.

According to the Red Cross, powerful earthquakes are an annual occurrence in Afghanistan, particularly in geologically volatile areas such as the Hindu Kush.

The western province of Herat also sits on a significant fault line, further adding to the country’s seismic risk profile.

In October 2023, a series of powerful earthquakes, including one measuring 6.3 magnitude, devastated western Afghanistan, particularly Herat, killing over 1,000 people and displacing thousands more. That tragedy underscored the pressing need for strengthened disaster response systems and long-term resilience planning across the region.