Powerful earthquake rocks Afghanistan’s Kunar, at least 10 killed

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan, with early reports indicating that at least 10 people were killed and 20 others injured, according to sources.

The tremor shook the Kunar province at about midnight on Monday, local sources told Al Jazeera, with significant damage reported across several districts in the mountainous area.

The sources said the toll was preliminary and that figures are likely to rise as assessments continue.

Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from neighbouring Pakistan, said the epicentre of the quake was recorded in the village of Kunar, and that aftershocks have been felt repeatedly in the ensuing hours.

“Kunar is a mountainous territory bordering Pakistan, and this area is prone to earthquakes. Kunar is situated right next to Badakshan, which is a seismic zone, and there are frequent earthquakes there that also shake Pakistan,” he said.

“Normally, these earthquakes are quite deep and, therefore, do not cause much damage. But this particular earthquake was of magnitude 6.0 and was at a shallow depth, between 8 to 10 kilometres [5-6.2 miles]. This means it would have a more devastating effect, given that most of the construction in the Kunar area is poor. It’s normally mud houses, or built by rock,” he added.

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