Strong earthquake in Afghanistan, tremors in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

The magnitude of the earthquake in Afghanistan on March 21 was 6.6 on the Richter scale, the depth of the epicenter was 220 km. Strong tremors have been recorded in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. There is destruction and casualties throughout the region.

At least 13 people were killed and more than 90 injured in an earthquake that hit northeast Afghanistan on Tuesday evening. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter was in the Hindu Kush mountains, in the sparsely populated Afghan province of Badakhshan, at a depth of 187 kilometers. Nevertheless, the largest number of victims and destruction occurred in neighboring Pakistan, where strong tremors were felt. At least nine people, including two children, have died in a house collapse in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to emergency services.

The Taliban health minister confirmed the deaths of four Afghans. Many residents of Kabul spent the night outside. Store owner Nur Ahmad Hanifi says:

“I had tents at home, my friends and I took them on picnics. Now my family has come in handy. I also shared the tent with my neighbors.”

Kabul Masiyeh says:

“It was a very strong earthquake, everyone ran out into the street. It was scary. We were scared earthquake in Turkey and hoped that nothing like this would happen in Kabul. People were horrified.”

The tremors caused panic in Islamabad, as people hurriedly left offices and shopping malls. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center, the earthquake was also felt in India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other countries of Central Asia.

Local publications write about a strong earthquake in Tashkent and other regions of Uzbekistan. People ran out onto the streets from houses and shopping centers. Tremors were felt in Samarkand, Bukhara, the cities of neighboring Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. According to the Republican Center for Seismic Predictive Monitoring of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan, the magnitude of the earthquake was 6.6, the depth was 220 km. In Tashkent, the earthquake was felt with a force of 5 points. Aftershocks of such force have not been felt in Uzbekistan for many years.

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