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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Hindu Kush Rattled by Another Strong Quake

Strong quake measuring up to 6.3 magnitude shook Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan

The event was consistent with FEWW Forecast

The quake struck about 18 km WSW of another strong quake which struck the region a week ago.

10-degree Map Centered at 40°N,70°E

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP. Map enhanced by FEWW.

Earthquake Details

• Magnitude: 6.0 [Maximum quake magnitude estimated by FEWW at 6.3 Mw]
• Date-Time: Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 17:44:31 UTC
  [Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 10:14:31 PM at epicenter]
• Location: 36.434°N, 70.731°E
• Depth: 205.6 km (127.8 miles)
• Region:  HINDU KUSH, AFGHANISTAN
• Distances:
  • 75 km (45 miles) SSE of Feyzabad, Afghanistan
  • 130 km (80 miles) WNW of Chitral, Pakistan
  • 140 km (90 miles) SSW of Khorugh, Tajikistan
  • 255 km (160 miles) NNE of KABUL, Afghanistan
• Location Uncertainty:  horizontal +/- 4.5 km (2.8 miles); depth +/- 7 km (4.3 miles)
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID:  us2009niba

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP. Map enhanced by FEWW.

After an earlier event in the area, a magnitude 6.4 quake which struck close to today’s epicenter almost exactly a week ago, FEWW forecast:

“ Further seismicity in the region should be expected in the coming days and weeks. An earthquake measuring up to 8.4 may occur in the region with a probability of 60 percent.”

Historic Seismicity Map

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

Related Links:

• Strong Earthquake Rattles Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
• The Largest Earthquake
• Earthquakes [Main Index Page]