At least Eight people have lost their lives and a minor has been injured Following a 5,8 magnitude earthquake that struck northeastern Afghanistan on Friday night, a country already heavily affected by seismic activity, Afghan authorities continue their search for missing persons. a missing person, while they assess the material damage in the affected areas.
The tremor was clearly felt in Kabul and several northern and eastern provinces of the country, as well as in neighboring regions of Pakistan and even in areas of India and Kashmir. Despite the intensity perceived by the population, emergency services report little significant damage outside of Kabul province, due in part to the great depth at which the earthquake originated.
Epicenter in Badakhshan and depth of the earthquake
According to preliminary data from United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other international seismological centers, the earthquake was recorded around 20: 40 local time, at a depth of about 186 kilometers below the surfaceThe hypocenter was located in the province of Badakhshan, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan, in the Jurm and Yamgan area, very close to the Hindu Kush mountain range.
This considerable depth explains why, even though it was an earthquake of moderate magnitude (5,8)The tremor was felt over a very wide area, but with a relatively limited level of destruction in the areas near the epicenter. In some initial records, the magnitude reached 5,9 before being revised downwards, a common correction in the first few minutes after a seismic event of this type.
The mountain range of Hindu Kush, where the energy of the earthquake was concentratedIt is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet. The convergence of several tectonic plates generates frequent earthquakes which, when they affect inhabited areas with precarious constructions, cause a high number of casualties.
Kabul, located approximately about 290 kilometers southwest of the epicenterThe city experienced a prolonged tremor that forced many people to leave their homes for fear of collapses. However, the areas closest to the epicenter are remote and difficult to access, which complicates the rapid delivery of information to the capital.
Fatalities and damage in Kabul province
La Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority He confirmed that the worst situation is concentrated in Kabul province. In the area of GosfandariLocated in the central area of the province, the collapse of a family home caused the death of eight members of the same family and injured a child who was inside.
Local reports also indicate damage to a home in the area of Gusfand Dara and in the Bagrami districtAlso in Kabul province, where authorities have counted some of the fatalities. These reports, although from different sources, agree that the collapse of poorly constructed houses has been the main factor behind the death toll.
Furthermore, Afghan authorities have reported that One person remains missingTherefore, the death toll could change as search and rescue operations continue. Information is coming in gradually from rural areas, where communications are limited and emergency teams have more difficulty accessing the area.
In the district of Khak-e-JabbarCases have also been reported in Kabul province. structural damage to some homes and perimeter wallsAlthough no casualties have been reported in that area so far, local teams have begun a more detailed assessment to determine if any buildings are at risk of collapse.
Authorities emphasize that the initial balance of Eight dead, one minor injured and one person missing This could change as inspection work is completed in the most isolated districts. In many cases, information takes hours to reach central agencies due to the terrain and lack of infrastructure.
Earthquake felt in Pakistan, India and Kashmir
The earthquake didn't just shake Afghanistan. The tremor was felt in a wide swathe of northwest Pakistanwhere the Pakistani Meteorological Department recorded the movement in cities such as Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat, and Shangla. Despite the initial alarm, authorities in the neighboring country reported that No significant damage or injuries have been confirmed at this time. because of the earthquake.
The seismic movement also reached areas of India and the Kashmir regionincluding parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and mountainous areas of the western Himalayas. In these territories, which are also prone to earthquakes, many residents left their homes as a precaution, although initial reports indicate a limited impact on infrastructure and basic services.
The large depth of the hypocenter This causes the energy to be distributed over a very wide radius, which explains why the tremor was felt hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter without causing the level of destruction that would be associated with a shallower earthquake. Even so, the event has reignited concerns about the vulnerability of older buildings or those built without earthquake-resistant design in the region.
In Europe, seismic monitoring systems, such as the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological CentreThey recorded the event almost in real time and disseminated its basic parameters, allowing European media and civil protection agencies to monitor the situation, although There has been no direct impact on European territory..
Response from health authorities and services
After the earthquake, the Ministry of Health of the Taliban Government activated the highest level of alert in the healthcare system. Hospitals in Kabul and the provincial health departments They received instructions to ensure staff, medical supplies, and beds were available in anticipation of the possible arrival of injured people from the affected areas.
This response aims to avoid scenes already witnessed in other natural disasters in the country, when a lack of resources and hospital overcrowding complicated the care of victims. This time, the relatively limited number of injured has allowed the healthcare system to handle the cases without collapsing, although The scarcity of resources remains a structural problem. in many Afghan health centers.
In parallel, the National Disaster Management Authority It has coordinated with local authorities and security forces to inspect the most damaged homes, especially in Kabul and the eastern mountain districts. Teams have been deployed to check unstable structures and organize the possible temporary relocation of families whose homes are unsafe.
International organizations specializing in disasters and some humanitarian agencies with a presence in Afghanistan are closely monitoring the evolving situation, although for now No large-scale international aid operation has been announcedGiven that, according to the available data, the impact of the earthquake has been localized.
For the Afghan population, already accustomed to successive natural disasters, the immediate priority is to assess whether the cracked or damaged-walled houses They can remain inhabited without danger. In rural areas, where adobe or poorly reinforced brick buildings abound, any crack after an earthquake of this type generates fear of further collapses.
A highly seismic and very vulnerable country
Afghanistan sits at a crossroads of several active tectonic platesThis makes the country one of the most earthquake-prone in the world. The interaction of the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates, combined with local faults, results in frequent earthquakes, often of moderate to strong magnitude.
The problem is not only geological activity, but also great vulnerability of the populationIn large rural areas, houses made of fragile materials predominate, built without earthquake-resistant construction standards and on unstable slopes. Under these conditions, even a relatively deep earthquake like the one recently recorded can cause casualties and significant damage over a wide area.
The last few years offer dramatic examples. In August de 2025, a magnitude 6,0 earthquake in the east of the country left more than 2.200 dead and about 4.000 wounded...in addition to the destruction of tens of thousands of homes. Months later, in November of the same yearA new earthquake of magnitude 6,3 caused at least around twenty dead and nearly a thousand injured, hitting communities that had barely recovered.
Given this background, the earthquake of magnitude 5,8 recorded now It is considered minor in energy terms, but it again highlights that the country lives in constant tension with seismic risk. Each new tremor reopens the debate about the need for reinforce buildings, improve urban planning and have more effective evacuation and response protocols.
In the international context, Afghanistan often appears in global reports as one of the territories where earthquakes are most deadly relative to its population. Studies cited by agencies such as Reuters point to hundreds of deaths on average per year for disasters of this type, a statistic that combines both large-scale events and more localized episodes but with a strong impact on vulnerable communities.
The 5,8 magnitude earthquake that has struck northeastern Afghanistan has, for now, left a toll of eight dead, one child injured, one person missing and limited material damageespecially concentrated in Kabul province. Although the earthquake was felt in several countries in the region and caused alarm, the great depth of the epicenter prevented a greater catastrophe. Even so, the event serves as a reminder that Afghanistan, situated on a complex network of active faults and with a very fragile housing stock, will continue to face a high seismic risk in the coming years, requiring preparation, investment, and ongoing attention from national authorities and the international community.
