Post by : Rameen Ariff

Kabul: An earthquake struck Afghanistan early Thursday with a magnitude of 4.6, as reported by the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The tremor, which took place at 2:20 AM IST, was recorded at a depth of 140 kilometers, with its epicenter pinpointed at latitude 36.43°N and longitude 71.20°E.

This marks the third quake in Afghanistan this November, highlighting the country’s susceptibility to seismic activity. The region frequently experiences tremors due to its position on active fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge.

Previously, on November 8, a 4.4 magnitude quake occurred in Afghanistan at a depth of 180 kilometers, while a significant 6.3 magnitude earthquake on November 4 caused devastation in northern regions, resulting in at least 27 fatalities and nearly 956 injuries, alongside substantial structural damage, including a historic mosque near Mazar-i-Sharif.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) highlights that Afghanistan remains exceptionally disaster-prone, frequently facing earthquakes, landslides, and floods. The Hindu Kush Mountain range, which traverses much of northern Afghanistan, is among the most seismically active areas globally.

Years of conflict, economic struggles, and insufficient infrastructure have left communities in Afghanistan highly prone to natural calamities. Experts caution that the nation’s limited emergency response capabilities render even moderate quakes capable of causing widespread damage.

As seismic activities persist, humanitarian organizations are calling for increased investments in disaster preparedness and the development of resilient infrastructure to mitigate future losses in life and property.

#Global News