6.1-magnitude earthquake shakes eastern Afghanistan, tremors felt in Pakistan
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, shaking the provinces of Khost and Nangarhar and sending tremors as far as the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
The tremor
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The quake was felt in Kabul and as far away as Islamabad in Pakistan, according to AFP journalists. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were available.
Depth and location
The epicentre was located in northeastern Afghanistan, at a depth of more than 208 kilometres, the USGS said. Shaking was reported in the eastern provinces of Khost and Nangarhar, as well as in Balkh and Badakhshan provinces near the Tajikistan and Pakistan borders.
A seismically active region
Earthquakes are frequent in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet. The deep-focus quake, while widely felt, is less likely to cause severe surface damage than shallower events of similar magnitude.
Recent deadly quakes
Afghanistan has experienced a series of devastating quakes in recent years. In August 2025, a magnitude 6 earthquake killed more than 2,200 people and injured nearly 4,000 in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar, according to Taliban authorities. In April 2026 a 5.8-magnitude quake in Badakhshan left 12 dead. Significant events in 2023 and 2022 in Herat and Nangarhar provinces killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes.
- Hundreds killed and thousands of homes destroyed in Nangarhar province
- Hundreds killed in Herat province near the Iranian border
- Magnitude 6 quake in Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar kills over 2,200 and injures nearly 4,000
- Magnitude 5.8 quake in Badakhshan kills 12
- Magnitude 6.1 quake strikes eastern Afghanistan, depth over 208 km
