Afghanistan Hit by 5.2 Earthquake in Hindu Kush Mountains

Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountain region experienced a 5.2 magnitude earthquake on Sunday night. The seismic event occurred at about 11:14 pm local time on October 25, and its focus lay at a depth of around 110 kilometres.

The tremor was initially measured at 5.8 magnitude in early assessments, before the figure was revised to 5.2. There are presently no confirmed reports of human casualties or property losses.

The quake adds to a long record of seismic activity in the Hindu Kush belt. The same area recorded a 5.2 magnitude tremor in March 2026, and several earthquakes were registered there during 2025.

Afghanistan has faced many severe disasters in recent years. The August 2025 earthquake of magnitude 6.0 in Kunar and Nangarhar caused over 2,000 deaths, thousands of injuries and widespread house collapses. Blocked roads in the mountainous terrain delayed relief and rescue work.

In October 2023, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Herat province in the west, followed by quakes on October 11 and 15. Thousands died and many homes were destroyed. Earlier, in June 2022, a 6.1 magnitude quake in eastern Paktika and nearby areas claimed more than 1,000 lives.

The 7.5 magnitude earthquake of October 2015 in the Hindu Kush was strongly felt in parts of Pakistan and India.

The region's frequent seismic activity is rooted in its geography. Afghanistan sits in an active geological zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The constant movement of these plates stores energy underground, which is released in the form of earthquakes.