Earthquake of magnitude 5.2 to 5.5 strikes Afghanistan's Hindu Kush, felt across the region; no casualties reported

A strong earthquake struck Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region late Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Tremors were felt across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and northern India.

India's National Center for Seismology said the quake hit at 11:14 pm IST, which is 10:14 pm in Afghanistan and 17:44 UTC. The agency measured it at magnitude 5.5, with an epicenter at latitude 36.157 and longitude 71.240 and a depth of 129 km.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre recorded it lower, at magnitude 5.2. The EMSC had first put the figure at 5.8 before revising it down as more seismic data came in.

Agencies differ on magnitude and depth

The numbers do not line up neatly, which is normal in the first hours after a quake. Different agencies run different networks and models.

On magnitude, the National Center for Seismology says 5.5 and the EMSC says 5.2. On depth, the National Center for Seismology gives 129 km. The EMSC has been cited at 190 km in one update and 104 km in another. A summary of the USGS record places the depth at roughly 100 to 110 km.

The USGS location puts the epicenter about 59 km southwest of Ashkāshām, at 36.274° north and 71.103° east. The EMSC placed it 206 km east of Kunduz, a city of about 161,000 people.

All of these point to the same remote stretch of the Hindu Kush, in the northeast of the country near the borders with Tajikistan and Pakistan.

Where it was felt

Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported shaking in Kabul, Nangarhar and several neighboring provinces. Pakistan's Geo News reported the tremor in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Tremors were also reported in Delhi, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Tajikistan. In Jammu and Kashmir, officials said there were no immediate reports of loss of life or damage to property.

Locations near the epicenter include Ashkāshām, Zaybāk, Kuran wa Munjan and Jurm in Afghanistan, Ishkoshim in Tajikistan and Chitral in Pakistan.

Why the Hindu Kush shakes

The region sits where the Indian plate meets the Eurasian plate, one of the more seismically active zones in the world. Earthquakes here often originate deep below the surface, which is the case with this one.

Quakes at these depths spread their energy over a wide area. That is why this one was felt in cities hundreds of kilometers away, and it is one reason a quake of this size at this depth tends to cause less surface damage than a shallow one of similar magnitude.

The terrain is still a problem. The affected area is mountainous, and access to remote settlements is difficult. Rescue and assessment work can be delayed even when damage is limited.

What is known so far

As of late Sunday, TOLOnews reported no immediate casualties or damage in Afghanistan. Indian officials reported none in Jammu and Kashmir. APA, citing the EMSC, likewise reported no casualties or damage.

The Afghan authorities have not yet published a damage assessment. Reports from villages in the mountain districts nearest the epicenter will be the first real test of whether the quake did any harm. Those updates, along with any revised magnitude and depth figures from the seismological agencies, are expected in the coming hours.