An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck eastern Afghanistan near Jalalabad at about midnight local time, causing early reports of at least 10 deaths and 20 injuries. The quake centred 27km east of Jalalabad and occurred at a shallow depth of 8km, followed by a 4.5 magnitude tremor near Basawul. Significant damage occurred across mountainous districts of Kunar and Nangahar, with reports of entire villages wiped out and people trapped under rubble. Houses built of mud and rock collapsed easily. Rescue operations are under way while access and communications to Kunar remain difficult. The region lies at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian plates and is tectonically active.
Kunar is an impoverished and mountainous region. The houses there are very vulnerable, built of mud and rocks. So they would not be able to withstand this particular earthquake, given the fact that this was shallow. It also happened late in the night, when a lot of people were inside their homes, he said. Hyder added that access to Kunar is difficult and that communications there appear to be down at the moment.
The sources said the toll was preliminary and that figures are likely to rise as assessments continue. The United States Geological Survey said the 6.0 magnitude quake was centred 27km (17 miles) east of the city of Jalalabad in the Nangahar province. It happened at a depth of just 8km (5 miles). A short while later, another 4.5 magnitude tremor occurred near Basawul in Nangahar.
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