Kabul, May 15: A 5.9-magnitude quake has struck the mountainous Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan but there have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The moderate earthquake hit the remote region, located some 256 kilometers (159 miles) from the capital Kabul, according to the US Geological Survey, AFP reported.
The epicenter was monitored 140 kilometers (86 miles) from Khorugh in Tajikistan and 236 kilometers (146 miles) from Mingora in Pakistan, with a depth of 207 kilometers (128 miles).
The worst earthquake to hit Afghanistan in recent years occurred on May 30, 1998, when a quake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale struck Takhar and Badakhshan provinces. At least 4,000 people died in the tremor.
About 7,000 families were affected and approximately 16,000 houses were destroyed or damaged.
——–Agencies