On the night of March 21,a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 hit Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India. The quake was felt for at least 30 seconds, and its epicenter was near Jurm in northeastern Afghanistan, according to the United States Geological Survey. The region is known for its seismic activity and is frequently hit by earthquakes.
As a result of the earthquake, two people, including one child, were reported dead in Laghman province. Many hospitals across northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan were also reported to have taken in at least 180 people who had minor injuries. The quake also caused panic amongst residents, many of whom fled their homes for safety.
In Kabul, 50-year-old Khatera was terrified by the tremors and rushed out of her fifth-storey apartment when the quake hit. “It was a terrifying tremor. I had never felt such a tremor before in my life”, she told AFP. Noor Mohammad Hanifi, a shopkeeper in the area, set up tents for his family to spend the night in, as he feared the buildings in the area were not safe. “Nobody dares to go inside their homes”, Hanifi told AFP.
The quake occurred during the Persian New Year celebration known as Nowruz, and many families were outdoors when the earthquake hit. Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said that health centres across the country were put on high alert, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan ordered the National Disaster Management Authority to be ready to deal with any emergencies.
