The earthquake occurred near the city of Herat. Nothing yet about possible damage or victims
known.
Western Afghanistan was once again rocked by a strong earthquake in just a few days. According to the US Earthquake Observatory (USGS), the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3 on Sunday morning and occurred about 30 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat, at a depth of six kilometers. A few minutes later, a second earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred. Information about damage and injuries was initially unavailable.
Herat is located in the border province of the same name, near Iran, and is the second largest city in Afghanistan after Kabul. Multiple earthquakes killed nearly 2,500 people in the region last weekend, according to media reports citing official statistics. More than 2,000 people were injured. The UN emergency relief agency OCHA put the death toll at more than 1,000.
Major damage
Severe earthquakes occur frequently in the region where the Arabian, Indian and Eurasian plates meet. A particularly devastating earthquake in Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people in 2022. In the impoverished country, scarred by decades of bloody fighting, many homes are poorly built. Earthquakes, therefore, often cause great damage. (APA)