Massive earthquake jolts Afghanistan, tremors felt in Pakistan and India

A massive earthquake of 7.0 magnitude jolted Afghanistan on Tuesday. The tremors of the earthquake were also felt in parts of India and Pakistan. According to Kabul News, the earthquake jolted Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.

As per Afghan media, the tremors of the earthquake were felt in neighbouring countries like Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China and Kyrgyzstan. Another 6.5 magnitude earthquake jolted the nation a few minutes later. The epicentre this time was near the Pakistan, India and Tajikistan border. 

Magnitude : 6.8
Epicentre: Hindukush Region, Afghanistan.#earthquake pic.twitter.com/YiBs5qaefF

— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) March 21, 2023

The domino effect of the earthquake also reached Pakistan after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake jolted the country, forcing people to run out of their homes. The Pakistan Meteorological Department stated that the epicentre of the earthquake this time was the Hindukush Region of Afghanistan. As per the department, the depth of the earthquake was 180 kilometres. And the tremors were felt in Pakistan’s national capital Islamabad as well. As yet, no casualties have been reported yet in all three countries.

An earthquake originated on 21-03-2023 at 21:47 PST
Mag: 6.8
Depth: 180 km
Lat: 36.51 N
Long: 70.96 E
Epicentre: Hindukush Region, Afghanistan.
#Earthquake

— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) March 21, 2023

Afghanistan: A geographically unfortunate country

Afghanistan is one of the most seismically active intercontinental regions in the world. According to the United States Geological Survey, the geographical unfortunate country sits on the edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate making it more vulnerable to earthquakes. The geological location makes southern Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India more prone to earthquakes.

Things become even tougher for Afghanistan since rural populations are thinly spread across the region. When it comes to eastern Afghanistan, active faults raised the great mountain ranges of the Hindukush and Pamir, along with the wide belts of lower-elevation mountainous terrain, that are interwoven with low-relief sedimentary basins bounded by faults.