The exact magnitude of the earthquake is still unclear. In Pakistan, local authorities in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said at least 9 people were killed and more than 40 injured. The spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Health, Sharafat Saman, spoke of a total of 4 dead and at least 70 injured in the country. According to local authorities, more than 60 houses have been damaged there.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Authority, the earthquake in the capital Islamabad had a magnitude of 6.8. The US earthquake monitor located the epicenter in the northern Afghan province of Badakhshan in the town of Jurm and gave the location a magnitude of 6.5.
The German Research Center for Geosciences in Potsdam named a magnitude of 6.5 and placed the quake at a depth of about 180 kilometers. According to the information provided, an earthquake of this magnitude and depth usually does not cause direct damage. In comparison, according to the Potsdam experts, the catastrophic tremors in the Turkish-Syrian border region occurred more than six weeks ago at a depth of ten kilometers.
The earthquake was felt as far north as Kazakhstan. Videos were shared on social networks showing residents of the southern cities of Shymkent and Taras in the Central Asian country running excitedly into the streets.
People in northern India also took to the streets in panic, writes The Times of India. The tremors lasted 30 seconds. Initially, no damage was reported.
The Hindu Kush region and neighboring countries, where the Arabian, Indian and Eurasian plates converge, are subject to repeated strong earthquakes. In the summer of 2022, more than 1,000 people died in a devastating earthquake in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The earthquake brings back memories of the massive earthquakes in Turkey and northern Syria in early February. More than 50,000 people died in Turkey alone. About two million people had to be accommodated in emergency shelters such as tents and containers. About 6,800 people have died in the quakes across Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
(sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
