Earthquake of 5.0 magnitude hits Afghanistan as death toll in Sunday’s quake continues to climb

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 struck Afghanistan at 10:55 pm. pic.twitter.com/ouZkXbyCoF

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2025

As per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

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

The latest aftershocks follow two earthquakes that have ravaged Afghanistan since Sunday. The Taliban administration estimated 2,205 deaths and 3,640 injuries in the devastating quakes by Thursday.

Deadliest earthquakes in Afghanistan

The week’s first earthquake of magnitude 6, just before midnight on Sunday, was one of Afghanistan’s deadliest, unleashing damage and destruction in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces when it struck at a shallow depth of 10 km.

A second quake of magnitude 5.5 on Tuesday caused panic and interrupted rescue efforts as it sent rocks sliding down mountains and cut off roads to villages in remote areas.

The two initial quakes flattened villages in both provinces, destroying more than 6,700 homes, and rescue workers pulled bodies from the rubble on Thursday.

Afghanistan’s earthquakes mainly happen in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.