Why is Afghanistan prone to earthquakes?

SadaNews - More than 1,400 people have been killed and over 3,100 others injured after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan, followed by another quake on Tuesday measuring 5.5. Afghanistan is considered one of the countries most affected by frequent earthquakes and tremors.

The earthquake on Sunday is among the worst the country has experienced in years, leading to the destruction of homes in remote villages, with all houses either damaged or destroyed, while local residents continue to search among the rubble for survivors, many of whom are trapped.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the death toll, as of Wednesday night, had reached at least 1,411, with 3,124 individuals injured and more than 5,400 homes destroyed.

Afghanistan is situated in a rugged mountainous region, making it susceptible to a range of natural disasters, but earthquakes account for most fatalities, claiming about 560 lives on average each year and causing annual damages estimated at around $80 million.

Studies indicate that at least 355 earthquakes with magnitudes above 5.0 have struck Afghanistan since 1990, causing varying but significant losses.

Afghanistan lies on the edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate, which has an interaction zone with the Indian plate, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, meaning they may converge or touch each other.

It is also affected by the Arabian plate to its south, creating one of the most tectonically active regions in the world. The northward movement of the Indian plate and its push against the Eurasian plate are responsible for the many earthquakes in Afghanistan.

The eastern and northeastern regions of Afghanistan, especially areas along its borders with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan, are particularly prone to earthquakes.

This includes the densely populated city of Kabul, which registers the highest average estimated damage from earthquakes, reaching $17 million annually, according to a study.

Earthquakes are also particularly dangerous in the Afghan mountains, where they can lead to landslides, further exacerbating the loss of life and property.

Afghanistan has recorded around 100 "devastating" earthquakes since 1900, and among the worst in recent years was a 6.0 magnitude quake in 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 1,000 people.

Several earthquakes within one month in 2023 led to the death of 1,000 people and the destruction of entire villages. One of the largest earthquakes in Afghanistan, measuring 7.5, occurred in 2015, killing 399 people in Afghanistan as well as in Pakistan and India.

The most significant impact occurred in 1998, when two earthquakes struck within three months, with the first killing 2,300 people and the second leading to the deaths of 4,700 people.

To support the country's resilience, studies recommend building new structures in an earthquake-resistant manner and retrofitting existing buildings to reduce the chances of collapse.

They also propose establishing better monitoring and early warning systems to ensure timely alerts and mapping fault lines using remote sensing and geospatial techniques to enable the rapid evacuation of people from at-risk areas.

Source: Reuters