5.5 magnitude quake hits Afghanistan, second in a single day

NEW DELHI: A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on Friday evening, marking the fourth quake to hit the country in less than a month and the second quake to hit the country in less than 12 hours.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the tremor occurred 47 km north-northwest of Khandud at 12:15 UTC (5:45 pm IST) at a depth of 43 km. No immediate damage or casualties were reported from Afghanistan.

Earlier in the day, an earthquake of magnitude 4.3 struck Afghanistan, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The quake occurred at 5:23 am (IST) with its epicentre located at latitude 34.57 degrees North and longitude 70.66 degrees East, at a depth of 10 kilometres. The tremors were felt in parts of eastern Afghanistan, including regions near the border with Pakistan.

Earlier, on October 5, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake had struck the country. As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 180km. In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 4.1, On: 06/10/2025 20:12:21 IST, Lat: 36.64 N, Long: 70.88 E, Depth: 180 Km, Location: Afghanistan.”

Earlier on September 28, another earthquake of magnitude 3.9 struck the region at a shallow depth of 10km, making is susceptible to aftershocks. In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 3.9, On: 28/09/2025 04:16:13 IST, Lat: 34.62 N, Long: 70.84 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Afghanistan.”

Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures, as well as greater casualties.

On September 18, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, reaffirmed India’s commitment to promote peace, stability and development in the country.

Addressing the UN Security Council quarterly briefing on Afghanistan, Ambassador Parvathaneni emphasised India’s priorities to provide humanitarian assistance and implement capacity-building initiatives for the Afghan people.”We believe in the utmost importance of international and regional consensus and cooperation on key issues concerning Afghanistan and actively engage with all relevant parties to promote peace, stability and development in the country,” Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said.

“India’s immediate priorities in Afghanistan include provision of humanitarian assistance and implementation of capacity-building initiatives for the Afghan people,” he added.

He also reaffirmed India’s commitment to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Ambassador Parvathaneni expressed gratitude to Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Roza Otunbayeva, for her briefing. (ANI)

Around the same time, a separate 5.7-magnitude earthquake was reported in northern Pakistan, near the Afghan border region.

According to India’s National Centre for Seismology, the tremor struck at 5:45:06 pm (IST) at a depth of 10 km, with coordinates 36.61degrees North latitude and 72.87 degrees East longitude.

EQ of M: 5.7, On: 17/10/2025 17:45:06 IST, Lat: 36.61 N, Long: 72.87 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Pakistan.
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— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) October 17, 2025

The shallow depth made the quake perceptible across parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with reports of tremors coming in from Islamabad, Swat, and Chitral.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India lie in one of the most seismically active zones in the world, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. The region frequently experiences moderate to strong earthquakes, often felt across borders due to the proximity of fault lines.

Authorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan have not yet reported any casualties or infrastructure damage as assessments are still underway. (ANI)