A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said on Friday. Strong tremors were felt in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, Kabul, Afghanistan, and the Indian capital New Delhi, according to Reuters witnesses.
The Kabul governor’s spokesman reported that at least eight people had died.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 177 kilometers, the GFZ said. Although there were no immediate reports of casualties, Afghanistan, surrounded by rugged mountains, is prone to a number of natural disasters. Its earthquakes are the deadliest, killing about 560 people on average each year.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the country in November left at least 27 people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes.
With the epicenter more than 180 kilometers underground, the earthquake was felt across a wide area of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was noticed in regions including Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat and Shangla, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Afghan Ministry of Health spokesman Sharafat Zaman said health authorities in Kabul and the provinces had been placed on alert.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo and Reuters
