In the early hours of Wednesday, April 16, 2025, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The tremor occurred at 04:43 a.m. IST, with the epicentre located at latitude 35.83 degrees North and longitude 70.60 degrees East, at a depth of 75 kilometres.
The NCS shared the details on X, stating: “EQ of M: 5.9, On: 16/04/2025 04:43:58 IST, Lat: 35.83 N, Long: 70.60 E, Depth: 75 Km, Location: Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.”
While there are no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage, authorities and humanitarian agencies are closely monitoring the situation. The Hindu Kush mountain range, stretching across northeastern Afghanistan, is part of a highly seismically active zone where earthquakes are frequent due to the region’s complex tectonic setting.
Afghanistan lies along the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which makes it especially prone to seismic activity. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reiterated the country’s extreme vulnerability to natural disasters, noting that frequent earthquakes disproportionately impact communities already weakened by decades of conflict and chronic under-development.
Powerful earthquakes are a regular occurrence in Afghanistan, particularly in the geologically volatile areas of the Hindu Kush. In October 2023, a series of devastating earthquakes, including one measuring 6.3 in magnitude, ravaged western Afghanistan, particularly Herat, killing over 1,000 people and displacing thousands more. This tragedy underscored the urgent need for strengthened disaster response systems and long-term resilience planning across the region.
As the NCS continues to monitor the situation, all efforts are focused on providing timely information and ensuring the safety of the affected communities. The people of Afghanistan remain in a high-risk seismic zone, and their preparedness for such events remains crucial.
