Afghanistan Earthquake Shakes Neighboring Cities

Kabul: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck in Afghanistan, close to its border with Tajikistan, at 10:28 GMT which shook major neighboring cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Delhi, forcing residents to leave their homes.

The epicenter of the earthquake was 39 km from Ashkasham and 282 km northeast of Kabul, in Afghanistan. In Pakistan, six persons have died and at least four have been injured. Strong tremors were felt across Peshawar, Chitral, Swat, Gilgit, Faisalabad and Lahore.

In Kabul, Omar Mohammadi, a spokesman for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, said officials were collecting information but no reports of casualties or damage had been received so far. He also warned people of post-quake landslides were a potential threat.

Residents left their homes in Kabul and Islamabad when the quake struck and buildings swayed for well over a minute in both capitals. Similar reports were received from across northern and central Pakistan. Tremors were also felt across north India, including New Delhi, Kashmir and Uttarakhand. The metro rail service in Delhi was halted for a few minutes following the quake as a precautionary measure.The Hindu Kush mountain sits on the corner of the Indian plate, rather than being at the front line of the continental collision, where the Himalayas are thrust upwards as India disappears beneath Eurasia at a rate of 40-50mm (2 inches) per year. It is in this rugged region that the sideways slip between India and Afghanistan meets the head-on impact of the Himalayan fault line. There are many small, interacting faults and forces pushing in different directions.