6.2 Magnitude Earthquake in Afghanistan Rattles Northern India

Powerful tremors from a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan shook Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and other northern Indian states on Saturday evening. The National Centre for Seismology reported the quake's epicenter was in Afghanistan, with its depth recorded at 215 kilometers. The United States Geological Survey located the epicenter 43 km south of Jurm in northeastern Afghanistan. Initial reports from Afghanistan indicated no immediate casualties or destruction. The Red Cross notes the Hindu Kush region's high vulnerability to earthquakes due to its location at the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This seismic event follows a series of moderate earthquakes in Pakistan's Balochistan province, which injured at least five people and damaged mud houses. Globally, a 4.9 magnitude quake also hit Venezuela, days after devastating earthquakes there caused nearly 1,000 deaths and widespread destruction.