Powerful earthquake in Afghanistan kills 12, including refugee family, tremors felt across region

A devastating earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on Friday night, killing at least 12 people , including eight members of a refugee family recently returned from Iran. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 , had its epicenter in the Hindu Kush mountains , about 150 kilometres east of Kunduz , according to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre and the United States Geological Survey.

The family, living in a tent on the outskirts of Kabul , was crushed when a wall collapsed on them after days of heavy rain had left the ground sodden. Mohibullah Niazi , a neighbour who helped in rescue efforts, said the only survivor was a three-year-old boy, now hospitalized with severe head injuries. Local authorities, including the Afghanistan Disaster Management Authority , reported that five homes were destroyed and another 33 significantly damaged , affecting roughly 40 families across Kabul, Panjshir, Logar, Nangarhar, Laghman, and Nuristan provinces.

The earthquake’s tremors were widely felt across Pakistan and north India . In Pakistan, areas including Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat, and Shangla reported shaking, while in India, residents of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir described brief but strong jolts, with ceiling fans and lights swaying in homes. No major casualties were reported in these regions.

Afghanistan remains highly seismically active , and the country has suffered multiple deadly quakes in recent years. Last August, a 6.0-magnitude quake killed over 2,200 people in Kunar province , while a 6.3-magnitude tremor in November claimed at least 27 lives in Samangan province , damaging historic sites including the Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif and Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as rescue and relief operations work to reach affected areas, especially remote and flood-prone regions. The tragedy highlights the vulnerability of returning refugees and rural families living in mud-brick and wooden shelters, who remain particularly exposed to natural disasters.