Afghanistan Quake, Leaves 100 Dead and Injured

M5.6 Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan Killing about a dozen people and injuring dozens more.

The quake was centered at 35.669°N, 67.653°E and struck at a depth of about 10km on April 18, 2010 at 20:28:50 UTC. The Moderators expected some casualties as a result of the quake, but there was no immediate news of casualties or damage available initially.

“The villages were destroyed and the local routes were blocked from slipping mountain rocks on to the roads,” said Hajji Ghulam Sakhi Baghlani, the provincial assistant governor, UPI reported.

The death toll could rise as more people could be buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings, he said.

According to another report hundreds of livestock had perished as a result of the quake which also left 300 homes damaged.

The area where this quake occurred is close to Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush Mountains, which is earthquake-prone. NATO bombardment in the region, past and present, could trigger more violent quakes.

10-degree Map Centered at 35°N,70°E

Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP.Click image to enlarge.

Seismic Hazard Map

Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green. Source: USGS/EHP.

Felt Reports: Felt (IV) at Mazar-e Sharif. Felt (II) at Kabul and Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Also felt at Baghlan, Bagrami, Bamian, Baraki Barak, Gaz Aab, Pangabv, SHebergan and Sahrak, USGS/EHP said.

• Population Exposure Map
• Earthquake Information for Afghanistan
• Earthquake Information for Asia

Earthquake Details:

• Magnitude 5.4 [USGS/EHP estimate]
• Date-Time:
  • Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 20:28:50 UTC
  • Monday, April 19, 2010 at 12:58:50 AM at epicenter
• Location: 35.669°N, 67.653°E
• Depth: 10 km (6.2 miles)
• Region: CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN
• Distances:
  • 125 km (80 miles) SSE of Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan
  • 180 km (110 miles) SSE of Termiz (Termez), Uzbekistan
  • 180 km (110 miles) SSW of Shaartuz, Tajikistan
  • 190 km (115 miles) NW of KABUL, Afghanistan
• Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 4.9 km (3.0 miles)
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID: us2010vfby

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