A powerful earthquake that lasted more than 30 seconds shook a large part of Pakistani and Afghan territory on Tuesday evening. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.5. It was felt over a very large area, from Turkmenistan to India. “People came out of their homes and started praying the Koran,” said an AFP correspondent from Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s Punjab
The earthquake had a depth of 194 km: The epicenter was in the Hindu Kush mountains near the remote northern Afghan province of Badakhshan. It is still unclear whether there will be any damage or injuries.
Much of South Asia is seismically active because the tectonic plate known as the Indian Plate is pushing north into the Eurasian Plate.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people last year.