A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan on Friday, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ). The tremor was recorded at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (around 6.2 miles).
Just a day earlier, on Thursday, a stronger quake measuring 6.2 magnitude had hit the same region at the same depth. GFZ reported that the tremors were felt as far away as Delhi NCR and Jammu and Kashmir, where people rushed outdoors after buildings shook. The coordinates of the quake were registered at 34.57°N latitude and 70.75°E longitude.
On Sunday night, another powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 devastated the mountainous eastern areas of the country, flattening villages and trapping many under debris. The worst-hit was Kunar province, where more than 2,200 lives were lost and over 3,600 people were injured. Additional deaths and injuries were also reported from the neighboring Nangarhar and Laghman provinces.
Relief efforts have faced major challenges due to blocked and damaged roads, worsened further by landslides and rockfalls triggered by ongoing aftershocks. Aid agencies began delivering initial assistance such as food supplies and high-energy biscuits, while more flights have been scheduled to transport additional relief materials and emergency personnel.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), many of the affected communities were already reeling from recent flash floods, and worsening weather is now making the humanitarian crisis more severe.
WFP’s regional director Harald Mannhardt described the scenes of destruction, saying that homes had collapsed, roads were destroyed, landslides were widespread, and many lives had been lost. He added that rescue teams are continuing operations in coordination with aid groups and are ready to expand assistance as required.
Meanwhile, India has also extended its support. On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that New Delhi had sent earthquake relief to Kabul by air. The consignment included 21 tonnes of supplies such as blankets, tents, hygiene kits, water storage containers, generators, kitchen essentials, portable water filters, sleeping bags, medicines, wheelchairs, sanitizers, and medical consumables