As of September 1, 2025, Afghanistan experienced a devastating earthquake in the Kunar province. Over 800 lives were lost, and more than 2,500 people were hurt.
Afghanistan’s location makes it vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits near the active seismic zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
One reason the nation regularly experiences such earthquakes is due to its mountainous terrain and position on these shifting plates.
Let’s look at some of the most significant earthquakes in Afghanistan over the past ten years.
Major Earthquake Events
On August 31, 2025, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. It hit around midnight, equivalent to 19:30 GMT on Sunday.
Tragically, at least 600 people lost their lives in Kunar, and another 12 died in Nangarhar, according to Mufti Abdul Mateen from the Interior Ministry.
Rescue operations are ongoing, as the earthquake tore through several villages, Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, confirmed.
In October 2023, Herat province suffered three powerful earthquakes. The first one on October 7 had a magnitude of 6.3. It was followed by another 6.3 quake on October 11 and a 6.4 quake on October 15. These events resulted in at least 2,445 deaths, according to the British Red Cross Society.
Recent Earthquake Timeline
On March 21, 2023, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck Badakhshan province near the Pakistan border. It caused at least 13 fatalities.
In September 2022, two earthquakes hit Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. These were of magnitudes 5.1 and 4.6, taking the lives of at least eight people.
On June 22, 2022, a 6.1 magnitude tremor impacted Paktika, Paktia, Khost, and Nangarhar provinces, resulting in over 1,000 deaths. Homes crumbled, leaving many in despair.
Earlier, on January 17, 2022, the Qadis district of Badghis suffered a 5.3 magnitude quake, taking 26 lives, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
On October 26, 2015, Afghanistan faced a 7.5 magnitude quake near the Hindu Kush region. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) noted 117 deaths. Additionally, 272 people died in neighboring areas, as reported by Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority.
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