A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan on Thursday, sending shockwaves across Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. The quake occurred at a depth of 188 miles, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake was felt at around 2:20 pm local time, causing people to run out of their buildings and seek safety. Some minor cracks and damages were reported in some structures, but no major casualties or injuries were reported.
The Hindu Kush region is located at the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which are colliding and subducting under each other. This creates a lot of stress and strain in the rocks, leading to frequent and powerful earthquakes. The earthquakes in this region can also occur at great depths, up to 200 km below the surface, which makes them difficult to understand and predict. Some possible mechanisms for these deep earthquakes are chemical changes in the rocks, water lubrication of the faults, and runaway frictional heating۔