Afghanistan hit by series of earthquakes in 24 hrs, latest of magnitude 4.5

This came after two earthquakes of magnitudes 5.8 and 4.1 struck the region in the late hours of Thursday, as per the NCS

An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 struck Afghanistan on Friday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 4.5, On: 05/09/2025 11:07:46 IST, Lat: 34.56 N, Long: 70.68 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Afghanistan."

Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties.

 

Earlier in the day, three earthquakes occurred in the region.

In a post on X, NCS said, "EQ of M: 4.6, On: 05/09/2025 07:46:52 IST, Lat: 34.66 N, Long: 70.71 E, Depth: 180 Km, Location: Afghanistan."

"EQ of M: 5.2, On: 05/09/2025 07:00:06 IST, Lat: 34.51 N, Long: 70.58 E, Depth: 140 Km, Location: Afghanistan," the NCS said.

Another earthquake of 4.9 magnitude occurred in Afghanistan earlier in the day.

"EQ of M: 4.9, On: 05/09/2025 03:16:43 IST, Lat: 34.57 N, Long: 70.42 E, Depth: 120 Km, Location: Afghanistan."

Rescuers have recovered hundreds of bodies from mountainous areas of southeastern Afghanistan, which was hit by a major earthquake at the weekend, taking the death toll to more than 2,200, according to a Taliban government spokesperson, as per Al Jazeera.

Sunday's quake was one of the deadliest in recent times due, in part, to how shallow it was, with its epicentre at a depth of about 8km, as per Al Jazeera.

At least 3,640 people were injured in the magnitude 6 quake on Sunday and a subsequent magnitude 5.5 quake on Tuesday, the Taliban said, with the United Nations warning the death toll could rise as more people are still trapped under rubble, particularly in the worst-hit provinces of Kunar.

Earlier, on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a post on X, stated that Indian earthquake assistance has reached Kabul by air.

"Indian earthquake assistance reaches Kabul by air. 21 tonnes of relief materials, including blankets, tents, hygiene kits, water storage tanks, generators, kitchen utensils, portable water purifiers, sleeping bags, essential medicines, wheelchairs, hand sanitisers, water purification tablets, ORS solutions and medical consumables, were airlifted today," he said.