A 6-magnitude earthquake struck Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Sunday night, resulting in over 800 fatalities and more than 2,500 injuries. The epicenter was located at a depth of 8 km. The Afghanistan-Pakistan region is seismically highly sensitive.
In the last 5 years, this region has experienced over 30 earthquakes, leading to the deaths of more than 2,000 people. Here are the three main reasons why earthquakes occur in this region, along with the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes from 2021 to 2025.
**1. Collision of Tectonic Plates**
Afghanistan is situated in a zone where the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate collide. The Indian plate is gradually moving northward and colliding with the Eurasian plate. This collision causes earthquakes. This collision also slowly lifts the Himalayan mountain range and makes the entire region sensitive.
**2. Deep Earthquakes in the Hindu Kush Region**
Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region frequently experiences deep-focus earthquakes (100,000 km). These earthquakes cause less damage on the surface. However, when the depth is shallow (e.g., 10-20 km), these earthquakes cause damage. When their depth is a few hundred kilometers, there is massive destruction.
**3. Presence of Active Fault Lines**
A fault line is a location where a crack or fracture is visible between rocks. Afghanistan has several active fault lines, such as the Chaman Fault, the Hari Rud Fault, and the Pamir Thrust Fault. There is continuous tectonic movement on these fault lines, which causes earthquakes.
**Year 2025**
* April 12: An earthquake of magnitude 5 occurred in Pakistan at a depth of 39 km.
* April 16 and 19: Earthquakes of magnitudes 5.6 and 5.8 occurred in the Hindu Kush and on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
* May 10: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 occurred in Pakistan.
* June 29: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred in central Pakistan, with the epicenter at a depth of 149 km.
* August 27: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* August 19: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 186 km.
* September 1: An earthquake of magnitude 6 occurred in Afghanistan, resulting in over 800 fatalities.
**Year 2024**
* January 5: An earthquake of magnitude 5 occurred in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.
* January 11: An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* February 19: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred in north-western Kashmir.
* Between March 9 and March 20: Earthquakes of magnitudes 5.5 and 5.8 occurred in Pakistan.
* September 11: An earthquake of magnitude 5.75 occurred in Pakistan at a depth of 10 km.
* October 17: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
**Year 2023**
* January 5: An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* Late March: An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 occurred in northern Afghanistan, resulting in 13 fatalities.
* May 3 and August 5: Earthquakes of magnitudes 5.6 and 5.7 occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* August 6: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 occurred on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
* October: Several earthquakes in Afghanistan led to numerous fatalities.
* November 15: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 occurred in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.
**Year 2022**
* January 17: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 occurred in western Afghanistan at a depth of 30 km.
* February 5: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* June: An earthquake of magnitude 6 in Afghanistan resulted in over 1,000 fatalities.
* August 1: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 occurred in the southwestern region of Pakistan.
* September 5 and 6: At least two earthquakes occurred in Afghanistan, resulting in 8 fatalities.
* December 16: An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 occurred in southeastern Afghanistan.
**Year 2021**
* May 19: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 occurred in Afghanistan at a depth of 17.6 km.
* October 7: An earthquake in southern Pakistan resulted in at least 15 fatalities.
