A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck southeastern Afghanistan on Thursday (September 4), according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The tremor, at a shallow depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), was recorded at 34.57°N latitude and 70.75°E longitude.

The latest quake comes just days after a series of devastating earthquakes killed more than 2,200 people and left over 3,600 injured in eastern Afghanistan. Entire villages were flattened, and tens of thousands remain homeless as rescue operations continue in the quake-hit provinces.

Tremors in India

Strong tremors were felt in parts of Delhi NCR and Jammu and Kashmir. Residents reported shaking buildings and rushed outdoors as a precaution. No immediate reports of damage or casualties have been received from India.

Survivors struggle amid aid shortages

The death toll from the devastating earthquakes that struck Afghanistan earlier this week has risen to more than 2,200, the Taliban administration confirmed on Thursday, as rescuers continued to pull bodies from the rubble of flattened villages in the country’s mountainous east.

The first quake, a shallow 6.0-magnitude, hit late Sunday in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, levelling entire villages built with mud-brick and wood. The Taliban reported at least 2,205 dead and 3,640 injured, making it one of Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquakes in recent years. A second 5.5-magnitude quake on Tuesday further disrupted rescue efforts, triggering landslides and blocking access to remote areas.

According to an assessment by Islamic Relief, 98% of buildings in Kunar province were either destroyed or damaged, leaving tens of thousands homeless. Authorities estimate more than 6,700 homes have been flattened.

Humanitarian crisis deepens

The United Nations and aid groups warn that the humanitarian situation is worsening rapidly. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said as many as 84,000 people have been directly or indirectly affected, with an urgent need for food, shelter, and medical supplies.

Survivors, many displaced and living outdoors amid aftershocks, continue to search for missing family members. Villagers have been seen carrying bodies on woven stretchers, digging graves with pickaxes, and waiting for aid convoys to reach cut-off mountain communities.

Rescue and relief operations

Video footage showed trucks loaded with flour and supplies navigating treacherous mountain roads, while Afghan authorities deployed commando forces via airdrops in inaccessible areas. Despite these efforts, aid agencies stress that staffing and supplies remain inadequate to meet the scale of destruction.

Afghanistan’s seismic vulnerability

Afghanistan, particularly the Hindu Kush region, lies on the seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. Poorly built homes made of stone, timber, and dry masonry add to the vulnerability of rural populations, with aftershocks continuing to rattle the already devastated provinces.