Second 6.3-magnitide earthquake hit Afghanistan some days after the seismic sequence of Saturday

Western Afghanistan experienced two major earthquakes on Saturday, while today a strong earthquake hit the same area again. Afghanistan is prone to frequent earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, as it is situated near the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

The current incident, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, occurred at approximately 05:10 local time (00:40 GMT) on Wednesday, located 28 km to the north of Herat city. The earthquake that occurred on Saturday morning struck Zindajan, a rural district roughly 40km from Herat. Images from the affected villages depict entire houses, which were too fragile to withstand the seismic activity.

The previous seismic sequence claimed the lives of over 2,500 people. Today, according to health officials, over 100 people have been injured and sent to hospitals, while no fatalities have been reported.  The  consequences and the exact impact of the quakes is not clear. However, aid agencies have reported shortages of blankets, food, and other essential supplies since many residents are sleeping in the open due to their destroyed homes caused by the previous tremors. 

An eyewitness in central Herat described the terrifying experience of waking up in the middle of the night and running out of her home. She recounted how she ran barefoot to the outskirts of the city, where many people had been residing in tents due to the previous earthquake.