A powerful earthquake of magnitude 4.8 struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early on Monday, flattening stone and mud-brick homes. According to the National Center for Seismology, the epicentre of the latest earthquake was Kalafgan-- around 300 km from the national capital, Kabul.
As of writing this article, there were no reports of any casualties or injuries. However, media reports claimed neighbouring Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan were also affected in the latest tremors.
"Earthquake of Magnitude:4.8, Occurred on 28-08-2023, 10:05:08 IST, Lat: 36.41 & Long: 70.44, Depth: 173 Km."
The disaster posed a new test for Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers and relief agencies already struggling with the country’s multiple humanitarian crises. It is worth mentioning the debt-ridden nation is frequently hit by strong tremors, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
Earlier in the first week of August, the country suffered a similar tremor. Fortunately, no deaths were reported in the incident. In June 2022, a deadliest earthquake killed at least 1,000 people and left more than 1,500 critically injured.
