KABUL: A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 115, officials confirmed. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake hit at 11:47 pm local time (1917 GMT) at a shallow depth of 8 km, with the epicentre located 27 km east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province.
Provincial authorities reported that several children were among the victims, after the roof of their home collapsed during the tremors. Most of the injured have been admitted to hospitals in Nangarhar and neighbouring Kunar provinces.
The quake shook buildings for several seconds across eastern Afghanistan, with tremors felt as far as Islamabad, nearly 370 km away, AFP journalists reported. At least three aftershocks followed.
Afghanistan sits near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, making it highly prone to seismic activity, particularly in the Hindu Kush region.
The disaster comes just days after heavy flooding in Nangarhar killed five people and caused widespread damage to crops and property.
