A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, killing at least 399 people across South and Central Asia.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- 7.5 Mw
- Death toll (by 5 Nov 2015)
- at least 399 people
- Depth
- 231.0 km
- Epicenter distance from Kuran wa Munjan
- 45 km north
- Time of occurrence (UTC)
- 09:09 UTC
- Primary fatalities location
- Pakistan
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Afghanistan and Pakistan sit within one of the world's most seismically active zones, where the Indian tectonic plate converges with the Eurasian plate beneath the Hindu Kush mountain range. Stress accumulated along deep fault structures in this subduction zone created conditions for a major deep-focus rupture.
On 26 October 2015 at 09:09 UTC, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck at a depth of 231 km with its epicenter 45 km north of Kuran wa Munjan in northeastern Afghanistan. The deep focal depth allowed seismic waves to travel far, and tremors were felt across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Central Asian republics, China, and Nepal.
By 5 November 2015, at least 399 people had been killed, with most fatalities recorded in Pakistan. Damage was reported in the Afghan capital Kabul, and widespread shaking affected populations from Lucknow in India to Xinjiang in China, prompting emergency response across multiple nations.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 399 (earthquake)