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ISLAMABAD: A strong earthquake centered in Afghanistan&rsquo;s Hindu Kush region late Friday killed at least 12 people in Kabul while sending tremors across major cities in Pakistan, AFP reported. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the quake struck at 9:13 PM local time with a magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of about 190 kilometeres. Tremors were widely felt in Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat and Shangla, prompting residents to rush out of homes, offices and commercial buildings. &ldquo;There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in Pakistan,&rdquo; a PMD official said, adding that monitoring was ongoing. Authorities in Afghanistan confirmed fatalities in the capital. Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the Kabul governor, said eight people were killed when a house collapsed on the outskirts of Kabul. &ldquo;All the victims belonged to the same family, and a child was also injured,&rdquo; Basharat said. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center and the US Geological Survey, the earthquake&rsquo;s epicenter was located in the Hindu Kush mountain range, about 150 kilometers east of Kunduz. The relatively deep focus allowed the tremors to be felt across a wide region, including northern Pakistan. Afghanistan&rsquo;s Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said emergency services in Kabul and provincial areas had been placed on alert following the quake. Despite the strong shaking, there were no immediate reports of damage from areas closer to the epicenter, which are remote and often slow to communicate with central authorities. Seismologists note that the Hindu Kush region is among the most seismically active zones in the world. In recent years, earthquakes have caused significant loss of life in Afghanistan, where vulnerable housing structures and limited disaster response capacity increase risks. In August last year, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan, while another 6.3 quake in November left at least 27 dead and hundreds injured. A series of powerful earthquakes in October 2023 also killed thousands in the western parts of the country.

Climate & Environment

A strong earthquake strikes Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush, killing 12 in Kabul, while tremors are widely felt across northern Pakistan. Residents rush outdoors, but no damage or casualties are immediately reported in Pakistani cities, officials say.

Afghanistan quake kills 12, tremors strongly felt across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is continuing with its policy to deport undocumented Afghan refugees while Afghanistan reels from a deadly earthquake that killed 2,200 people. Thousands of Afghans have returned to Afghanistan in recent days after the disaster, while the United Nations urged Pakistan to halt deportation given the humanitarian emergency. Pakistan maintained its stance that it will return any Afghan without valid documentation. &ldquo;We decide who stays in our country&rdquo;, said the Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan. &ldquo;Any people without documentation should leave. This is what Pakistan is doing, like other countries including in Europe&rdquo;.&nbsp; Since late 2023, Pakistan implemented a phase repatriation plan for Afghan nationals without legal status. Over 1.2 million Afghan have returned to their homeland under this policy, including more than 443,000 earlier this year.&nbsp; The latest phase focuses on deporting Afghan refugees holding UN-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, who were given a deadline of September 1 to leave or face deportation. Pakistan has linked the policy to increased cross-border militant activity and says it is addressing security concerns while managing its own humanitarian crisis, including floods that have displaced millions. Devastation from Afghan earthquake&nbsp;A powerful 6 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31, killing more than 2,200 people. It flattened villages and destroyed about 8,000 homes, mostly in Kunar province. Rescue efforts have been hindered by difficult terrain, landslides, and blocked roads. Several strong aftershocks caused further damage. The disaster has left tens of thousands homeless, with emergency shelters set up to provide basic aid. Heavy pre-quake rains worsened conditions by increasing the risk of landslides. The earthquake is among the deadliest in Afghanistan&rsquo;s recent history, striking a region with poor construction standards and regular seismic activity. Humanitarian response faces challenges due to limited funding and logistical difficulties. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Afghanistan

Pakistan decides who stays, undocumented Afghans must leave, says FO spokesperson.

Articles tagged with "Afghanistan earthquake"

Afghanistan quake kills 12, tremors strongly felt across Pakistan

Pakistan maintains Afghan repatriation policy amidst earthquake crisis