Magnitude-6.3 earthquake in Afghanistan injures 30 people 200 miles away

By Greg Botelho and Michael Martinez, CNN
Updated 4:40 PM ET, Fri December 25, 2015

Story highlights


  • Quake is upgraded to magnitude 6.3 by U.S. Geological Survey
  • 30 people are injured 200 miles away in Peshawar, Pakistan
  • Quake was centered fairly deep some 175 miles northeast of Afghan capital of Kabul



(CNN)At least 30 people were injured in a magnitude-6.3 earthquake Friday that shook northeast Afghanistan where it borders Pakistan and Tajikistan, officials said.

The injuries occurred in various localities of Peshawar, Pakistan, about 200 miles from the quake epicenter, according to Peshawar District Officer Muhmand Asim Khan and other officials.

The epicenter is in Afghanistan's Ishkashim district, a mountainous area where the majority of homes are made with mud and are prone to earthquakes. People living in this area are mainly impoverished farmers, Khan said.

More precisely, the quake struck some 25 miles west-southwest of Ashkasham, Afghanistan, and 175 miles northeast of that country's capital, Kabul, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The global seismic network GEOFON reported on its website that the tremor was slightly stronger as a magnitude 6.3. The USGS, which initially listed the quake at magnitude 6.2, later classified it a 6.3.

The global seismic network said the quake was centered about 125 miles deep.

Many people in the region described strong jolts in their postings to social media.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/25/asia/a...an-earthquake/