On Tuesday Night a Shallow M4.9 Earthquake struck near Jalālābād in Afghanistan.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 25th, 2026. Last updated September 20th, 2026.

Under land 16 kilometer from Jalālābād in Afghanistan, a shallow Magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Tuesday August 25th, 2026. A significant chance that this earthquake caused casualties is predicted. Other nearby countries are Pakistan and Tajikistan.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Afghanistan, 16 kilometer (10 mi) north-east of Jalālābād in Nangarhar. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Aug 25, 2026 05:48AM (Kabul Time) - Aug 25, 2026 01:18 Universal Time.
Location:	16 km NE of Jalālābād, Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Coordinates 34°30'39"N 70°35'50"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 4.9 Detected by 118 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.052 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong 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.

Significant fatalities predicted

The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:

Fifteen people injured in the Bihsud-Jalalabad-Kuz Kunar area.

Based on scientific estimates by the USGS, the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level YELLOW (significant). They expect an 39% likelyhood of between 10 and 100 fatalities, and a 97% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 1,000.

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 54 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 54 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.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 116,300 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. The majority of people (roughly 27 million) live in an area exposed to level II, where very weak shaking and no damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Afghanistan , around 17 million people, with impact levels up to VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). In Pakistan , around 37 million people.

Nearby towns and cities

3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Afghanistan , Pakistan and Tajikistan .

Jalālābād in Nangarhar, Afghanistan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 16 kilometer (10 mi) north-east of Jalālābād. The intensity of shaking and damage in Jalālābād is estimated to be around level V on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (moderate shaking, very light damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Kabul is located 131 km to the west and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Jalālābād is located 16 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of V (moderate shaking, very light damage). Peshawar is located 106 km to the south-east and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VI. 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 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:

• Jalal Abad, Nangarhār, Afghanistan: 1 person.

Risk of aftershocks?

We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.

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 August 18th, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 211 km (131 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on March 21st, 2023.

In total, 127 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.9 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 29 days.

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 20/09/26 02:58 (). 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 us6000tna9
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260825_0000021
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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