A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hits western Afghanistan

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck western Afghanistan on Saturday, with its epicenter located near the region's largest city, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). 

Earlier, the USGS had initially reported the earthquake's magnitude as 6.2.

According to the US agency, the earthquake's epicenter was approximately 40 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat. It was followed by aftershocks measuring 5.5, 4.7, and 6.2 on the Richter scale.

A journalist from the French news agency AFP in the city reported that residents and shopkeepers rushed out of buildings when the earthquake struck at around 11:00 a.m. (06:30 UTC). He added that there have been no reports of injuries or damage so far.

He stated, "People are feeling anxious and scared. Men, women, and children have left their homes. Aftershocks have occurred. Everyone is fearful and unsettled. No one wants to stay indoors."

The US Geological Survey mentioned the possibility of hundreds of casualties.

In June of last year, more than a thousand people were killed, and tens of thousands were displaced following a 5.9-magnitude earthquake, the most powerful in nearly a quarter of a century in Afghanistan, which struck the impoverished province of Paktika. 

Afghanistan frequently experiences earthquakes, particularly in the region of the Hindu Kush mountain range, near the convergence point of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.


AFP