6.0 magnitude earthquake hits Afghanistan: Two children killed in roof collapse; tremors felt in Pakistan

An earthquake of 6.0 magnitude struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday.The US geological survey (USGS) reported reported that the quake hit at 11:47 pm local time (1917 GMT) at a shallow depth of 8 km, with its epicenter located 27 km east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province .

Two children were killed and at least 15 others injured after the jolt, provincial officials said, according to news agency AFP.

Provincial authorities said the children died when the roof of their home collapsed during the tremors. Initial assessments also reported multiple injuries.

The quake shook buildings for several seconds across eastern Afghanistan, with tremors also felt in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, around 370 km away, AFP journalists said.

Afghanistan is highly prone to seismic activity due to its location near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, particularly in the Hindu Kush region.

The quake comes just days after Nangarhar province was hit by heavy flooding from Friday night into Saturday, which killed five people and destroyed crops and property, local officials said.