KABUL, Afghanistan (BN240 — At least nine people were killed and more than two dozen injured when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday near the Pakistan border, authorities said.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported the quake occurred at 11:47 p.m. local time (8:17 p.m. UK time). The epicenter was located in Nangarhar province near Jalalabad, about 119 kilometers (74 miles) from the capital, Kabul, at a depth of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles).
Ajmal Darwaish, a spokesman for Nangarhar’s regional health department, said nine people were confirmed dead and at least 25 others injured.
The quake was followed about 20 minutes later by a second tremor measuring 4.5 in magnitude, also in Nangarhar province at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). A third jolt, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake, struck soon after at the same depth.
Afghanistan has been repeatedly struck by deadly quakes in recent years. In October 2023, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake and strong aftershocks devastated western Afghanistan, leaving thousands dead. The Taliban government reported more than 4,000 fatalities, while United Nations figures placed the toll closer to 1,500, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Afghan history.
