An earthquake struck Afghanistan on Sunday night, with India’s National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirming that the quake measured 4.9 on the Richter scale. The tremor was recorded at 9:36 pm, with its epicentre located at a depth of 147 kilometres, at coordinates 36.347°N latitude and 71.496°E longitude.
No casualties or damage to property have been reported so far as a result of the earthquake.
Afghanistan frequently experiences seismic activity, with the Hindu Kush region in particular known to be highly earthquake-prone. The Red Cross has noted that this region is extremely sensitive to seismic activity, primarily because Afghanistan lies along the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. The constant pressure exerted by the two plates against each other results in frequent tremors in the region. Experts also point out that a major fault line runs through Afghanistan’s Herat region and several other parts of the country, contributing to the heightened earthquake risk the nation faces.