Tremors hit same area that was destroyed on Monday: Fresh quake jolts disaster-struck Afghanistan

KABUL: Another earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale has struck Afghanistan. The second aftershock struck in the same area as Sunday's quake. The epicenter was 10 kilometers below. The magnitude of Sunday's quake was 6.0. There are no immediate reports of damage from the new quake. A 4.6-magnitude aftershock was felt on Monday.

The Taliban administration said that the death toll from the Afghan earthquake has risen to 1,400. Thousands of people were killed and 3,124 injured in Kunar province alone, chief Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. The earthquake that struck early Sunday morning caused damage in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. The most damage was in Kunar. Landslides following the earthquake blocked traffic on major roads in Kunar, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach isolated villages. More than 5,000 houses were destroyed.

This is reportedly the largest earthquake in Afghanistan in recent years. The Taliban regime has appealed for foreign aid for the victims. This is the third most powerful earthquake to hit Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in 2021. In 2022, an earthquake in Khost and Paktika killed 1,160 people, and in 2023, an earthquake in Herat province killed more than 1,480 people. Four earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 or higher hit the country between April and August.