Afghanistan shaken by 6.0 magnitude earthquake near the Pakistan border

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook southeastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border late Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake’s epicenter was 22 miles north or Bāsawul, Afghanistan, and it had a depth of 6.2 miles, the USGS said. It struck at 11:47 p.m. local time Sunday.

Naqibullah Rahimi, a spokesman for the Nangarhar Public Health Department, said 15 people were injured and taken to the local hospital for treatment.

There was a second quake some 20 minutes later in the same province, with a magnitude of 4.5 and a depth of 10 kilometers.

Afghanistan is located near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, and it is often impacted by earthquakes.

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2023, along with strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated that at least 4,000 perished. The U.N. gave a far lower figure of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.

More than 90% of those killed were women and children, UNICEF said.

In June 2022, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck parts of eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 1,000 people and injuring more than 1,500 others.