A 5.0 magnitude tremor struck Afghanistan on the night of September 5 at 10:55 PM IST, adding to the seismic turmoil that has plagued the country for days. This event followed closely on the heels of a powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake, which had already left the region reeling.
The country’s seismological agency confirmed the new quake, which had a depth of 10 km and was registered in the eastern regions of Afghanistan. The more destructive 6.2 quake had occurred only a day earlier, also at a shallow depth, and was part of a terrifying chain of tremors that began with a magnitude 6.0 quake days before.
These successive shocks have caused widespread destruction. Hundreds of villages—especially in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces—have been reduced to rubble, with thousands of homes destroyed. The death toll across these events has climbed into the thousands, and many more have been injured or displaced. Countless families were left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, highlighting the scale of devastation.
Rescue operations remain sluggish, hindered by collapsed roads, landslides, and the rugged mountainous terrain that hampers access to remote communities. Aid agencies and the United Nations have warned of an escalating humanitarian emergency, with dwindling supplies of food, water, shelter, and medicine.
Survivors continue to face an uncertain future, staying in makeshift tents, open fields, and riverbanks, fearful of returning to their damaged or destroyed homes as aftershocks continue. The crisis underscores Afghanistan’s extreme vulnerability to natural disasters and places a spotlight on the urgent need for sustained international support to aid recovery and rebuilding.