Afghanistan hit by back-to-back 4.2, 4.5 magnitude earthquakes

Two earthquakes of magnitudes 4.2 and 4.5 struck Afghanistan in the early hours of Saturday.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the first earthquake occurred at 4:20 AM Indian Standard Time (IST), with coordinates of latitude 36.21 N and longitude 71.22 E. The quake had a depth of 100 kilometers.

In a post on X, NCS stated: "EQ of M: 4.5, On: 22/02/2025 04:20:01 IST, Lat: 36.21 N, Long: 71.22 E, Depth: 100 Km, Location: Afghanistan."



The second earthquake followed within fifteen minutes, recorded at magnitude 4.2 on the Richter scale. It took place at 4:33 AM (IST) at latitude 36.44 N and longitude 70.90 E, with a depth of 150 kilometers. The NCS also shared these details on X.


Earlier this week, a 4.3-magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan on Tuesday.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Afghanistan remains highly susceptible to natural disasters, including seasonal flooding, landslides, and earthquakes. These frequent quakes significantly impact vulnerable communities already struggling with decades of conflict and underdevelopment, leaving them with limited resilience to cope with multiple crises.

Afghanistan has a history of powerful earthquakes, with the Hindu Kush Mountain range being a geologically active area where quakes occur annually, according to the Red Cross. The country sits on several fault lines between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, with one fault line running directly through Herat.