An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 was experienced in Afghanistan, based on the data obtained from the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) on Thursday. The incident happened at 6:59 AM IST at a depth of 126 kilometers, with its epicenter located about 165 kilometers north-northwest of Kabul. So far, there are no casualties or damage to property reported.
Seismological data and epicenter coordinates by the NCS
The exact geographic location of the epicenter of the tremor as stated by the NCS is at 35.981° North latitude and 68.700° East longitude. Due to the considerable depth of origin of the tremor, which was 126 km, the shaking intensity at the surface level was relatively moderate.
Frequent earthquakes in the region of the Hindu Kush mountain range
The current earthquake adds to the ongoing list of seismic activity registered in the area of Afghanistan’s volatile Hindu Kush range. In fact, recently there were two earthquakes in the same region – on September 30 and September 22 with the magnitudes of 4.2 near Ashkasham and 5.0 near Fayzabad.
The Hindu Kush mountain range sits along a major tectonic collision zone, frequently producing deep and moderate earthquakes that are often felt across neighboring Pakistan and parts of northern India, including Delhi-NCR. Local authorities continue to monitor the region for potential aftershocks.
