On Wednesday Night a Significant M5.6 Earthquake struck 201km from Kabul in Afghanistan.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 15th, 2025. Last updated April 27th, 2025.

A significant MAG-5.6 earthquake struck under land 201 kilometer from Kabul in Afghanistan deep in the night of Wednesday April 16th, 2025. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 33 million people. Tajikistan and Pakistan are also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Afghanistan, 201 kilometer (125 mi) north-east of Kabul. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 99 km.

Date and Time:	Apr 16, 2025 03:43AM (Kabul Time) 12 days ago - Apr 15, 2025 23:13 Universal Time.
Location:	201 km NE of Kabul, Afghanistan. Coordinates 35°56'20"N 70°33'50"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.6 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.073 .
Depth:	99 km (62 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 33 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 33 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Weak shaking and probably no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 30,100,000 people. At III, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused.

People in 3 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Afghanistan , around 17 million people, with impact levels up to III (weak shaking, probably no damage). In Pakistan , around 15 million people. Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Tajikistan too.

Nearby towns and cities

Afghanistan , Tajikistan and Pakistan are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

Located 118 kilometer (73 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Bāzārak (Panjshir, Afghanistan) is the nearest significant population center. Bāzārak experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.

Major cities near this earthquake: Kabul is located 201 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Peshawar is located 234 km to the south-southeast (intensity unknown, possibly low). Battagram is located 264 km to the east-southeast (intensity unknown, possibly low).

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 112 people in 5 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 112 people have reported shaking in 38 places in 5 countries (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Islamabad, Federal Capital Area, Pakistan: 19 people.
• Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan: 16 people.
• Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan: 9 people.
• Peshawar, North-West Frontier, Pakistan: 7 people.
• Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan: 7 people.
• Abottabad, North-West Frontier, Pakistan: 6 people.
• Mingaora, North-West Frontier, Pakistan: 4 people.
• Mardan, North-West Frontier, Pakistan: 3 people.
• Wah, Punjab, Pakistan: 3 people.
• Samarkand, Samarkand, Uzbekistan: 3 people.

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 14 hrs later 55 km (34 mi) west-northwest of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 16th, 2024, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 65 km (40 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on October 26th, 2015.

In total, 17 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 7 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 27/04/25 23:48 (1 hour ago). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000q6c3
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250415_0000235
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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