On Wednesday Evening a Significant M5.5 Earthquake struck near Fayzabad in Afghanistan.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 1st, 2026.

Under land 62 kilometer from Fayzabad in Afghanistan, a significant Magnitude 5.5 earthquake occurred in the evening of Wednesday July 1st, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 16 million people. Other nearby countries are Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Afghanistan, 62 kilometer (39 mi) south of Fayzabad in Badakhshan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 213 km.

Date and Time:	Jul 1, 2026 10:27PM (Kabul Time) - Jul 1, 2026 17:57 Universal Time.
Location:	62 km south of Fayzabad, Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Coordinates 36°34'1"N 70°26'57"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 38 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.05 .
Depth:	213 km (132 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. 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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 16 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 16 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

Weak shaking and probably no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 8,572,000 people. At III, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused.

People in 4 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 8 million people were exposed to shaking in Afghanistan , with level III (weak shaking, probably no damage) as the highest recorded. In Pakistan , around 5 million people. Roughly 3.6 million people were exposed to shaking in Tajikistan . In Uzbekistan, shaking was experienced too.

Nearby towns and cities

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

Located 62 kilometer (39 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Fayzabad (Badakhshan, Afghanistan) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Fayzabad is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Kabul is located 254 km to the southwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Dushanbe is located 264 km to the northwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Kunduz is located 143 km to the west and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is III.

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 2 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in 2 countries (Tajikistan, 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:

• Nurak, Khatlon, Tajikistan: 1 person.
• Pabbi, North-West Frontier, Pakistan: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

In the days before this main shock, 2 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

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.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

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 June 27th, 2026, when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit 30 km (19 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on February 23rd, 2023.

In total, 26 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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 5 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 01/07/26 22:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000t9gg
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260701_0000288
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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