Earth quake in Afghanistan

Earthquakes are the result of sudden movement along faults within the Earth. The movement releases stored-up 'elastic strain' energy in the form of seismic waves, which propagate through the Earth and cause the ground surface to shake.

Afghanistan's location on the edge of the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate makes it a highly seismically active region prone to frequent and destructive earthquakes. The country's mountainous terrain, including the Hindu Kush and Pamir ranges, is a direct result of the ongoing collision and deformation between these two continental plates. This tectonic interaction creates numerous active faults, such as the Chaman and Paghman faults, which release significant seismic strain, causing ground shaking throughout the region.

Afghanistan is located in the Alpine-Himalayan belt, formed due to collisions among the Indian, Eurasian, and Arabian tectonic plates. Afghanistan sits on major fault lines with over 600K people affected by EQs in the past decade. A 7.6 magnitude EQ in Kabul could impact 10M+ people

Disaster in Afghanistan as 6.0 magnitude earthquake rocks eastern provinces on dated September 1,2025. More than 800 people have died , Eyewitnesses say entire villages have been flattened and reduced to rubble.

The quake struck at a shallow depth of 8km (5 miles), making it more destructive. Worst-hit are the Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, but shakes were felt in neighbouring provinces, as well as in Kabul and in neighbouring Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

More than 800 people are known to have died, UN agency Ocha says, and at least 2,000 people are estimated to be injured. Details are still emerging about the full extent of the destruction, but Ocha believes as many as 12,000 people are impacted, including by damaged buildings and infrastructure.

It could be some time before we have a full picture of the disaster: the mountainous region has posed issues for rescuers, who have been inhibited in their efforts by the remote terrain, which makes access to some areas difficult.

Afghanistan is very prone to earthquakes because it is located on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet. Earthquakes happen when there is sudden movement along the tectonic plates which make up the Earth's surface. Fractures called fault lines occur where the plates collide.

Fairly moderate earthquakes have been very destructive in the country, particularly in the years 1998, 2002, 2022, 2023 and 2025. This can be blamed on the population residing in mostly informal and adobe houses, which are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking.

The capital faces the highest seismic risk among Afghan cities due to its proximity to the Chaman Fault. Rapid urbanization and unsafe construction practices have heightened its vulnerability, increasing the potential impact of earthquakes.

Due to the earthquake, there was a significant loss to Pakistan's infrastructure, the Afghanistan neighbor country.There were collapsed and blocked roads, a total loss of clean water supply, partial loss of telecommunications infrastructure, partial loss of UN VHF system, and in some cases hospitals were non-functional.

Pakistan straddles the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, with a portion of the country situated on the Arabian Plate. This complex tectonic setting, a "triple junction," is the cause of significant seismic activity and the formation of major mountain ranges like the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush. The Punjab and Sindh regions primarily rest on the Indian Plate, while western Pakistan, including Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lies on the Eurasian Plate, creating a highly active and earthquake-prone zone.Afghanistan is located on the southern edge of the Eurasian plate, in a region heavily impacted by the northward push of the Indian plateThe Arabian Plate also influences the tectonic activity in Afghanistan to the south.Afghanistan itself is composed of a collage of smaller tectonic blocks, including the Kabul Block and other Afghan Central Blocks, which were once part of the Indian continent and became part of the Eurasian plate.

The constant collision and interaction of these plates result in a high level of seismic activity, with frequent earthquakes occurring across the country