A significant MAG-5.3 earthquake struck under land 65 kilometer from Fayzabad in Afghanistan just after midnight of Wednesday August 19th, 2026. Other countries near the epicenter include Tajikistan and Pakistan.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Afghanistan, 65 kilometer (40 mi) south of Fayzabad in Badakhshan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 196 km.
| Date and Time: | Aug 19, 2026 12:21AM (Kabul Time) - Aug 18, 2026 19:51 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 65 km south of Fayzabad, Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Coordinates 36°33'13"N 70°45'18"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 17 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.075 . |
| Depth: | 196 km (122 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Afghanistan , Tajikistan and Pakistan are all within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Fayzabad in Badakhshan, Afghanistan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 65 kilometer (40 mi) south of Fayzabad.
Major cities near this earthquake: Kabul is located 267 km to the southwest. Peshawar is located 293 km to the south. Dushanbe is located 281 km to the northwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 65 km (40 mi) N from epicenter |
Fayzabad Badakhshan, Afghanistan. |
| 79 km (49 mi) E from epicenter |
Ishqoshim Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 104 km (65 mi) NW from epicenter |
Rustāq Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) W from epicenter |
Taloqan Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 126 km (78 mi) NE from epicenter |
Khorugh Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ārt Khwājah Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 147 km (91 mi) W from epicenter |
Khanabad Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 150 km (93 mi) NW from epicenter |
Chubek Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 155 km (96 mi) W from epicenter |
Nahrīn Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 159 km (99 mi) NW from epicenter |
Farkhor Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hulbuk Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) W from epicenter |
Kunduz Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 174 km (108 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kŭlob Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 177 km (110 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bāzārak Panjshir, Afghanistan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) S from epicenter |
Āsmār Kunar, Afghanistan. |
| 179 km (111 mi) SE from epicenter |
Thal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 181 km (112 mi) SE from epicenter |
Upper Dir Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 189 km (117 mi) W from epicenter |
Baghlān Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) S from epicenter |
Asadābād Kunar, Afghanistan. |
| 191 km (119 mi) W from epicenter |
Qarāwul Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 195 km (121 mi) W from epicenter |
Pul-e Khumrī Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 210 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter |
Jabal os Saraj Parwan, Afghanistan. |
| 212 km (132 mi) NW from epicenter |
Danghara Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 214 km (133 mi) NW from epicenter |
Vakhsh Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 215 km (134 mi) S from epicenter |
Mehtar Lām Laghman, Afghanistan. |
| 219 km (136 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kolkhozobod Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 223 km (139 mi) SW from epicenter |
Charikar Parwan, Afghanistan. |
| 226 km (140 mi) NW from epicenter |
Moskovskiy Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 226 km (140 mi) NW from epicenter |
Bokhtar Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) S from epicenter |
Jalālābād Nangarhar, Afghanistan. |
| 240 km (149 mi) NW from epicenter |
Norak Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 242 km (150 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bat Khela Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 245 km (152 mi) SE from epicenter |
Mingora Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) W from epicenter |
Aībak Samangan, Afghanistan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NW from epicenter |
Yovon Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) S from epicenter |
Tangi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 267 km (166 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kabul Kabul, Afghanistan. |
| 270 km (168 mi) S from epicenter |
Shabqadar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 270 km (168 mi) NW from epicenter |
Vahdat Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter |
Paghmān Kabul, Afghanistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) W from epicenter |
Khulm Balkh, Afghanistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) NW from epicenter |
Boshkengash Dushanbe, Tajikistan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) S from epicenter |
Utmanzai Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dushanbe Dushanbe, Tajikistan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) S from epicenter |
Charsadda Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SE from epicenter |
Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) S from epicenter |
Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SE from epicenter |
Battagram Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hisor Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. |
| 298 km (185 mi) S from epicenter |
Pabbi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) SE from epicenter |
Risalpur Cantonment Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
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 (Afghanistan, 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:
- Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan: 1 person.
- Swābi, North-West Frontier, Pakistan: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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
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 July 1st, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 28 km (18 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on February 23rd, 2023.
In total, 43 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 3 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
| 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. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 196 km (122 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/08/26 13:38 (). 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 us6000tlqq
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260818_0000687
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
