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2025 Afghanistan earthquake

Coordinates: 34°42′22″N 70°47′35″E / 34.706°N 70.793°E / 34.706; 70.793
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2025 Afghanistan earthquake
USGS ShakeMap
2025 Afghanistan earthquake is located in Afghanistan
2025 Afghanistan earthquake
Kabul
Kabul
Islamabad
Islamabad
UTC time2025-08-31 19:17:34
ISC event643933543
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date31 August 2025
Local time23:47:34 AFT (UTC+4:30)
MagnitudeMw 6.0
Depth8 km (5 mi)
Epicenter34°42′22″N 70°47′35″E / 34.706°N 70.793°E / 34.706; 70.793
TypeThrust
Areas affectedKunar, Nangarhar, Laghman, Nuristan and Panjshir Provinces, Afghanistan
Max. intensityMMI IX (Violent)
LandslidesYes
Aftershocks17+ felt
15+ ≥Mw 4.0[1]
Mww 5.6 on 4 September 2025 (strongest)
Casualties2,217+ deaths, 4,000+ injuries

On 31 August 2025, at 23:47 AFT (19:17 UTC), a Mw 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. The epicenter of the quake was located in Nurgal District, Kunar Province. It had a hypocenter eight kilometres (5 miles) beneath the surface, and a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) in Nurgal. Several geological and structural factors led to a relatively heavy impact for the earthquake's relatively moderate size, with more than 2,200 deaths, 4,000 injuries and 8,000 collapsed homes; almost all of the casualties and destruction occurred in five districts of Kunar Province, where almost all buildings were damaged or destroyed, with nearby provinces also suffering damage and casualites. It was the deadliest earthquake to affect Afghanistan since 1998.[2]

Tectonic setting

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Tectonic plate boundary map of the South Asian region

Much of Afghanistan is situated in a broad zone of continental deformation within the Eurasian plate. Seismic activity in Afghanistan is influenced by the subduction of the Arabian plate to the west and the oblique subduction of the Indian plate in the east. The subduction rate of the Indian plate along the continental convergent boundary is estimated to be 39 mm/yr or higher. Transpression due to the plates interacting is associated with high seismicity within the shallow crust. Seismicity is detectable to a depth of 300 km (190 mi) beneath Afghanistan due to plate subduction.[3]

These earthquakes beneath the Hindu Kush are the result of movement on faults accommodating detachment of the subducted crust.[4] Within the shallow crust, the Chaman Fault represents a major transform fault associated with large shallow earthquakes that forms the transpressional boundary between the Eurasian and Indian plates. This zone consists of seismically active thrust and strike-slip faults that have accommodated crustal deformation since the beginning of the formation of the Himalayan orogeny. These earthquakes tend to display strike-slip faulting due to its abundance and high deformation rate.[5]

Earthquake

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ECDM earthquake map

The earthquake occurred as a result of thrust faulting on a shallow fault. This fault was either a northeast–southwest striking fault dipping northwest or west-northwest–south-southeast striking fault dipping south–southeast.[6] Its epicenter was located in Nurgal District in Kunar Province, 37 km (23 mi) west-southwest of the city of Asadabad and 27 km (17 mi) west of the border with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It had a hypocenter 8 km (5.0 mi) beneath the surface.[7]

A maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) was estimated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). According to the USGS' Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response service, approximately 18,000 people were within the zone of intensity IX, and 107,000 people were exposed to VIII (Severe) shaking. The MMI of the earthquake was estimated to have reached IX at Nurgal District, VIII at Chawkay and Kuz Kunar Districts, VII (Very strong) at Jalalabad, and IV (Light) at Kabul and the Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Islamabad.[7] Tremors were also felt in Lahore, and in parts of India, including Delhi.[8]

At least 17 aftershocks were reportedly felt by 1 September.[9] The largest aftershock measured Mww 5.6, and struck about 1 km (0.62 mi) northeast of the mainshock at 21:26 AFT on 4 September with a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VII.[10] The GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported a magnitude of mb 6.3.[11]

Impact

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The earthquake killed at least 2,217 people, left around 4,000 injured,[12] and destroyed 8,000 homes.[13] The USGS estimated between 1,000 and 10,000 deaths were possible, with nearly 890,000 people exposed to very strong to violent shaking.[7] Most of the affected homes were made of mud and stone,[14] the majority of which were built on steep valleys.[15] Doshisha University professor Tsutsumi Hiroyuki said the destruction and high death toll were attributed to the earthquake's shallow depth, low quality building materials, and the ground beneath the epicentral area comprising soft sediments, which significantly amplified ground motions.[16] Heavy rains in the days before the earthquake also exacerbated the destruction and put the area at risk of landslides.[17] Many affected residents were among four million illegal migrants who had been deported from Iran and Pakistan.[18] Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, estimated that more than 500,000 people were affected,[19] with many others being displaced.[20] Save the Children estimated that 260,000 children were among those affected, with 280 being orphaned due to the earthquake.[2] A day after the earthquake, the full scale of the damage had yet to be known, with many affected villages still unreachable.[21]

At least 2,205 people were killed, 3,640 others were injured,[22] 5,400 homes[23] and up to 65% of buildings collapsed and 98% of structures were damaged[24] in Kunar Province, with five districts there particularly affected.[25] Hundreds of casualties were feared in Nurgal District alone,[26] and the villages of Wadir, Shomash, Masud, and Areet were reportedly destroyed, with many others being substantially damaged.[17][27] Up to 90% of residents were feared dead or injured in Wadir.[28] In the village of Mazar-e-Dara, where a resident said 95% of homes were destroyed,[29] dozens of fatalities and nearly a hundred injuries were reported,[30] while 79 villagers died in Andarlachak.[9] An additional 200 deaths and 500 injuries were reported in Chawkay District.[21] Roads in Kunar, including the one connecting the province with Jalalabad, were blocked by landslides caused by the earthquake, aftershocks, and heavy rains, preventing many areas from being accessed quickly.[26][31] In Nangarhar Province, 12 people were killed and 255 others were injured in Darai Nur District.[32]

Eighty people were injured in Laghman Province,[26] six of them seriously.[21] Fifty-eight of the injuries in the province occurred in Alingar District.[32] At least 14 homes collapsed in the province.[33] Four people were injured in Nurgram District, Nuristan Province, and in neighboring Panjshir Province, five houses were destroyed in Abshar.[32]

On 2 September, a magnitude 5.2 aftershock[34] caused additional damage, some injuries, and landslides that blocked roads and slowed rescue efforts in the worst-hit areas.[35][36] A series of five aftershocks, the largest of which measured Mw 5.6 aftershock struck on the evening of 4-5 September, causing two additional deaths, including one due to a house collapse in Sirkanay District, injuring 51 others (22 in Nangarhar, 20 in Kunar, and 9 in Laghman), and destroying 30 homes in Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar Provinces; 14 of the injured were students jumping from windows at Syed Jamaluddin Afghan University in panic. Further landslides blocked key roads connecting the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar.[37][38][39][40]

Response

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Hours after the earthquake, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that local officials and volunteers had conducted rescue operations and provided aid to affected areas.[30] The affected area also saw flash flooding over the weekend that killed at least five people[41] and destroyed bridges and other infrastructure.[31] The Taliban government mobilized its defence forces[42] and allocated 100 million Afghan afghanis (US$1.5 million) in response to the disaster, while Prime Minister Hasan Akhund established a special committee led by the minister of rural rehabilitation and development, Mohammad Younus Akhundzada.[32] Taliban authorities established a camp in Kunar to organize supplies and emergency aid.[43]

Due to having limited resources, the Taliban also requested relief from international aid organisations. Many volunteers in Nangarhar Province visited hospitals to donate blood to injured victims. Four helicopters carrying medical staff arrived at Nurgal District.[26] Several victims were airlifted to Nangarhar Regional Hospital.[44] The Afghan Air Force carried out at least 185 flights to transport 2,060 injured and deliver 23,100 kg (50,900 lb) of aid.[45] The Afghan Ministry of Defence transported 30 doctors and 800 kg (1,800 lb) of medical supplies into Kunar Province by air.[46] The Afghan Red Crescent Society sent personnel to provide emergency assistance in affected areas.[26] The Bayat Foundation and Afghan Wireless also sent aid and personnel, with the latter saying that it would activate a new telecommunications site in Nurgal District to help in the response.[47] One person died in Jalalabad due to suspected low blood pressure while donating blood for the victims at a hospital.[48]

The United Nations sent 20 emergency assessment teams to the affected areas[49] and allocated $5 million in assistance.[50] It also warned that relief efforts had been hampered by cuts in funding that led to the closure of 44 clinics in the area and the suspension of the World Food Programme’s humanitarian air service earlier in the year,[51] while more than 25 km2 (9.7 sq mi) of land in the affected areas was contaminated by mines and explosive ordnance due to years of conflict.[52] The UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, called on Pakistan to suspend its deportation of Afghan migrants in light of the disaster.[53] The European Union pledged 130 tonnes of emergency supplies and one million euros ($1.2 million) in assistance,[18] with Ireland also pledging another one million euros.[54] Save the Children sent medical teams to Kunar, while Médecins Sans Frontières deployed teams to hospitals in Nangarhar and Laghman provinces.[55]

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, offered humanitarian aid, including medical supplies,[21] beginning with 80 tons of flour and cooking oil that were delivered to Kunar on 2 September.[56] India sent 1,000 tents, 15 tons of food[57][58] and 21 tonnes of relief material to Afghanistan.[59] The United Kingdom said it would provide £1 million ($1.3 million) in humanitarian assistance[60] through "experienced partners", the United Nations Population Fund and the International Red Cross.[55] The Chinese government and private companies operating in Afghanistan provided at least $40,810 and two truckloads of material aid.[61] Both Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also pledged humanitarian aid,[62] with the UAE sending food, medical supplies, tents and a search and rescue team to Afghanistan.[63] Turkey sent aid packages for 1,000 affected families, while the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan sent 35 truckloads of relief goods through the Torkham border crossing.[61] Pakistan's federal government also sent 105 tonnes of humanitarian aid through Torkham.[64]

Both South Korea and Australia pledged $1 million each in aid. South Korea said it would deliver the amount through the United Nations while the Australian government said that it would work with established partners to ensure its support helped those in need rather than the Taliban government.[52] Turkmenistan also pledged clothing, tents, medicine, and food supplies to Afghanistan following a phone call between their respective foreign ministers.[65] The Qatari Air Force launched an air bridge operation to transport aid to Afghanistan, with four of its aircraft landing in Kabul with emergency relief supplies, including two field hospitals, food, medical aid and shelter materials for approximately 11,000 people.[66] The initiative was overseen in Kabul by Qatari minister of state for international cooperation Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, who became the first female minister to visit Afghanistan on a humanitarian mission since the Taliban takeover in 2021.[67]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "USGS earthquake catalog". United States Geological Survey.
  2. ^ a b "AFGHANISTAN EARTHQUAKE: Aftershocks cause terror for children in Afghanistan's deadliest earthquake for nearly 30 years". Save the Children. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
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  4. ^ Kufner, Sofia-Katerina; Kakar, Najibullah; Bezada, Maximiliano; Bloch, Wasja; Metzger, Sabrina; Yuan, Xiaohui; Mechie, James; Ratschbacher, Lothar; Murodkulov, Shokhruhk; Deng, Zhiguo; Schurr, Bernd (16 March 2021). "The Hindu Kush slab break-off as revealed by deep structure and crustal deformation". Nature Communications. 12 (1685): 1685. Bibcode:2021NatCo..12.1685K. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21760-w. PMC 7966371. PMID 33727553.
  5. ^ Shnizai, Zakeria (26 June 2020). "Mapping of active and presumed active faults in Afghanistan by interpretation of 1-arcsecond SRTM anaglyph images". Journal of Seismology. 24 (6): 1131–1157. Bibcode:2020JSeis..24.1131S. doi:10.1007/s10950-020-09933-4. S2CID 220063065. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
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  34. ^ ANSS. "M 5.2 - 34 km NE of Jalālābād, Afghanistan 2025". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
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  53. ^ "Bennett urges Pakistan to halt Afghan deportations after deadly quake". Amu TV. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  54. ^ "Australia, Ireland give Kabul $1.5m after deadly quake". Pajhwok. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  55. ^ a b Bariz, Yama; Atkinson, Emily (2 September 2025). "Strong aftershock hits Afghanistan after quake kills more than 1,400". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  56. ^ Azizi, Ahmad (2 September 2025). "Iran charge d'affaires visits quake-hit Kunar, delivers aid". Amu TV. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  57. ^ "India sending emergency aid to Afghanistan's earthquake victims". Amu TV. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  58. ^ "'India stands by Afghanistan': New Delhi sends aid, promises more after deadly earthquake". The Indian Express. 1 September 2025. Archived from the original on 1 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
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  61. ^ a b "Aid from several countries delivered to quake victims". Pajhwok. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
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  63. ^ Harvey, Lex; Popalzai, Masoud; Stockwell, Billy; Reagan, Helen; Reck, Char; Haq, Sara Noor (2 September 2025). "Taliban calls for foreign help after deadly Afghanistan earthquake. Here's what we know". CNN. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  64. ^ "Pakistan dispatches relief supplies to Afghanistan earthquake victims". Ariana News. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  65. ^ "Turkmenistan pledges aid for eastern Afghanistan earthquake". Ariana News. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  66. ^ "Qatari woman minister in Kabul as aid arrives for quake victims". Amu TV. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  67. ^ "Death toll from Afghan earthquake jumps to more than 2,200 as aid agencies plead for funds". AP News. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
[edit]

ReliefWeb's main page for this event.

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