Â
Afghanistan, a country surrounded by imposing mountain ranges, has a lengthy history marked by formidable earthquakes, many of which have struck the rugged Hindu Kush region, adjacent to Pakistan. These seismic events have left a lasting impact, with the recent tremors being among the deadliest in years in this quake-prone nation.
The toll of these powerful earthquakes has been devastating, with over 2,000 lives lost and more than 9,000 individuals injured, as reported by the Taliban administration on Sunday. The geography of Afghanistan, replete with remote and inaccessible areas, compounds the challenges when it comes to disaster response, while decades of conflict have left the country's infrastructure in disarray, further hampering relief and rescue efforts.
Here is a chronicle of significant earthquakes that have shaken Afghanistan over the past three decades:
BADAKHSHAN, 2023: A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the sparsely populated northeastern province of Badakhshan, situated approximately 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Jurm village. This quake claimed the lives of at least 13 people in Afghanistan and its neighboring country, Pakistan.
KUNAR, September 2022: Just three months after Afghanistan grappled with a series of powerful earthquakes, Kunar province was struck by tremors in September, resulting in the loss of eight lives.
PAKTIKA, June 2022: In June, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake rocked the eastern province of Paktika, claiming the lives of 1,036 individuals. This calamity inflicted extensive damage, prompting Afghanistan to seek international assistance.
HINDU KUSH, 2015: One of the most significant seismic events in Afghanistan's recorded history occurred in 2015 when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake shook the region. This quake claimed the lives of 399 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
HINDU KUSH, 2002: In March 2002, twin earthquakes struck the Hindu Kush, resulting in the loss of 1,100 lives.
HINDU KUSH, 1991: An earthquake in the Hindu Kush region led to the tragic demise of 848 individuals across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Soviet Union.
QAYEN, 1997: A massive magnitude 7.2 quake, situated on the border of Afghanistan and Iran, wreaked havoc in both countries. It claimed the lives of more than 1,500 people and left over 10,000 homes in ruins.
TAKHAR, February-May 1998: In a remote northeastern province of Afghanistan called Takhar, an earthquake claimed the lives of at least 2,300 people. Just three months later, in the same region, another quake with a magnitude of 6.6 resulted in the loss of 4,700 lives.
These seismic events, spanning three decades, serve as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by Afghanistan in dealing with natural disasters, further compounded by its tumultuous history.
