In the morning of Friday December 19th, 2025, a significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit under land 48 kilometer from Baghlān in Afghanistan. Other countries near the epicenter include Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Afghanistan, 48 kilometer (30 mi) east-northeast of Baghlān in Baghlan. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Dec 19, 2025 10:09AM (Kabul Time) - Dec 19, 2025 05:39 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 48 km ENE of Baghlān, Baghlan, Afghanistan. Coordinates 36°16'60"N 69°12'19"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 22 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.066 . |
| Depth: | 35 km (22 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
Afghanistan , Tajikistan , Uzbekistan and Pakistan are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Located 25 kilometer (16 mi) north-northeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Nahrīn (Baghlan, Afghanistan) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Kabul is located 195 km to the south. Kunduz is located 59 km to the north-northwest. Dushanbe is located 253 km to the north.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 25 km (16 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Nahrīn Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 45 km (28 mi) N from epicenter |
Khanabad Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 48 km (30 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Baghlān Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 58 km (36 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Taloqan Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 58 km (36 mi) SW from epicenter |
Pul-e Khumrī Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 59 km (37 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kunduz Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 93 km (58 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ārt Khwājah Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 107 km (66 mi) W from epicenter |
Aībak Samangan, Afghanistan. |
| 109 km (68 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Rustāq Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Bāzārak Panjshir, Afghanistan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Qarāwul Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 130 km (81 mi) S from epicenter |
Jabal os Saraj Parwan, Afghanistan. |
| 136 km (85 mi) N from epicenter |
Farkhor Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 141 km (88 mi) S from epicenter |
Charikar Parwan, Afghanistan. |
| 142 km (88 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Khulm Balkh, Afghanistan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kolkhozobod Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) NE from epicenter |
Fayzabad Badakhshan, Afghanistan. |
| 155 km (96 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Chubek Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 158 km (98 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Moskovskiy Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 163 km (101 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Vakhsh Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 174 km (108 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Hulbuk Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 177 km (110 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Bokhtar Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 189 km (117 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kŭlob Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) S from epicenter |
Paghmān Kabul, Afghanistan. |
| 193 km (120 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Mazār-e Sharīf Balkh, Afghanistan. |
| 195 km (121 mi) S from epicenter |
Kabul Kabul, Afghanistan. |
| 201 km (125 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Tirmiz Surxondaryo, Uzbekistan. |
| 201 km (125 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mehtar Lām Laghman, Afghanistan. |
| 202 km (126 mi) N from epicenter |
Danghara Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bāmyān Bamyan, Afghanistan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Balkh Balkh, Afghanistan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Ishqoshim Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 226 km (140 mi) N from epicenter |
Yovon Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 228 km (142 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sho‘rchi Surxondaryo, Uzbekistan. |
| 234 km (145 mi) N from epicenter |
Norak Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 235 km (146 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Jalālābād Nangarhar, Afghanistan. |
| 235 km (146 mi) SE from epicenter |
Asadābād Kunar, Afghanistan. |
| 245 km (152 mi) N from epicenter |
Boshkengash Dushanbe, Tajikistan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Khorugh Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 249 km (155 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Denov Surxondaryo, Uzbekistan. |
| 253 km (157 mi) N from epicenter |
Dushanbe Dushanbe, Tajikistan. |
| 253 km (157 mi) N from epicenter |
Vahdat Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. |
| 256 km (159 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Hisor Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. |
| 259 km (161 mi) S from epicenter |
Baraki Barak Logar, Afghanistan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tursunzoda Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. |
| 265 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bāzār-e Yakāwlang Bamyan, Afghanistan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Upper Dir Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) NW from epicenter |
Boysun Surxondaryo, Uzbekistan. |
| 288 km (179 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Thal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) W from epicenter |
Sar-e Pul Sar-e Pol, Afghanistan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) S from epicenter |
Gardez Paktia, Afghanistan. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Afghanistan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Mazar-e Sharif, Balẖ, Afghanistan: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. Just 56 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.6 was detected 9 km (6 mi) north-northeast of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Dec 19, 2025 10:09AM (Kabul Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
56 mins later Dec 19, 2025 11:05AM (Kabul Time) | 9 km (6 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).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 November 2nd, 2025, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 167 km (103 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on April 10th, 2016.
In total, 32 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 4 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
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 35 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/12/25 06:48 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000rvxc
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251219_0000072
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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