Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan... 'Concerns Over Large-Scale Casualties'

Damage Scale Likely Large Due to Shallow Depth of Jinwon

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck northwestern Afghanistan. The international community is concerned about the possibility of a large number of casualties.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred in northwestern Afghanistan at 11:11 a.m. local time on the 7th. The epicenter was located 44 km northwest of Herat, the capital of Herat Province in west-central Afghanistan. Notably, the hypocenter was relatively shallow at a depth of 10 km.

In addition to this earthquake, aftershocks measuring 5.5, 4.7, and 6.2 followed in the area.

Herat is considered the cultural capital of Afghanistan, and according to records from the World Bank and others, about 1.9 million people live in this region.

The area around Herat, Afghanistan, on the 1st, before the earthquake occurred [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

USGS warned of the possibility of hundreds of deaths. The USGS preliminary report stated, "In past earthquakes of this magnitude, regional or national-level responses were necessary."

Foreign media reported that although no official damage figures have been released, residents are gripped by fear and reluctant to stay inside their homes.