A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Sunday night, causing widespread damage and resulting in over 800 deaths and over 2,500 injuries. The earthquake’s focus was located 8 kilometers deep. The Afghanistan-Pakistan region is known for its high seismic activity.
Over the past five years, this area has experienced more than 30 earthquakes, causing more than 2,000 fatalities. This article explores three key reasons why this region is prone to earthquakes and provides a summary of seismic events from 2021 through 2025.
**1. Tectonic Plate Collisions**
Afghanistan is situated within the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Indian plate continues to move northward and collide with the Eurasian plate, which generates earthquakes. This ongoing process also uplifts the Himalayan mountain range, contributing to the region’s overall vulnerability to seismic events.
**2. Deep-Focus Earthquakes in the Hindu Kush**
The Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan is characterized by frequent deep-focus earthquakes (approximately 100,000 km). These deeper quakes typically cause less damage on the surface. However, when the depth is shallower (e.g., 10-20 km), they can cause significant damage. Earthquakes with depths of only a few hundred kilometers can trigger massive destruction.
**3. Presence of Active Fault Lines**
Fault lines represent zones where rock formations exhibit cracks or fractures. Afghanistan is crisscrossed by several active fault lines, including the Chaman Fault, the Hari Rud Fault, and the Pamir Thrust Fault. These fault lines are constantly subjected to tectonic movements, which lead to the occurrence of earthquakes.
**Year 2025**
* April 12: A 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan at a depth of 39 km.
* April 16 and 19: Two earthquakes, measuring 5.6 and 5.8, were recorded in the Hindu Kush and along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
* May 10: An earthquake of 5.7 magnitude occurred in Pakistan.
* June 29: A 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit central Pakistan, with a focal depth of 149 km.
* August 27: A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* August 19: A 5.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, at a depth of 186 km.
* September 1: A 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in Afghanistan, leading to over 800 fatalities.
**Year 2024**
* January 5: A 5.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.
* January 11: A 6.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* February 19: An earthquake of 5.5 magnitude occurred in northwestern Kashmir.
* March 9 to March 20: Several earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.5 and 5.8 occurred in Pakistan.
* September 11: A 5.75 magnitude earthquake, with a focal depth of 10 km, struck Pakistan.
* October 17: A 5.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
**Year 2023**
* January 5: An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* Late March: A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, resulting in 13 fatalities.
* May 3 and August 5: Earthquakes of 5.6 and 5.7 magnitude occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* August 6: A 5.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
* October: Multiple earthquakes in Afghanistan resulted in numerous casualties.
* November 15: An earthquake of 5.3 magnitude occurred in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.
**Year 2022**
* January 17: A 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in western Afghanistan, at a depth of 30 km.
* February 5: A 5.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
* June: A 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan led to over 1,000 fatalities.
* August 1: A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern region of Pakistan.
* September 5 and 6: At least two earthquakes occurred in Afghanistan, resulting in 8 fatalities.
* December 16: A 4.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in southeastern Afghanistan.
**Year 2021**
* May 19: A 4.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in Afghanistan, with a depth of 17.6 km.
* October 7: An earthquake in southern Pakistan caused at least 15 fatalities.