A moderate 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday, sending mild tremors across parts of Kashmir, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed.
According to official earthquake monitoring data released by the NCS, the quake struck at 1:57:24 AM IST at a significant depth of 220 kilometres. The epicentre was pinned at 36.602°N latitude and 71.084°E longitude, positioned roughly 73 kilometres southeast of Fayzabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan in northeastern Afghanistan.
The NCS classified the event as a reviewed seismic occurrence. Owing to its deep-focus nature—originating over 200 km beneath the Earth’s surface—the seismic energy dissipated over a wide region, resulting in light shaking across the border in parts of Kashmir rather than localised destructive force.
Residents in affected pockets of Kashmir reported waking up to gentle vibrations shortly before 2:00 AM. However, there were no immediate reports of casualties, structural damage, or severe disruptions to emergency services in either Afghanistan or Kashmir following the event. Local authorities continue to monitor the situation, though the risk of major aftershocks remains low given the focal depth of the quake.
