Strong quake has people fleeing homes in Afghanistan, Pakistan
A strong earthquake lasting for at least 30 seconds was felt across much of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India Tuesday night, with the United States Geological Survey putting the magnitude at 6.5.
"It was a terrifying tremor. I had never felt such a tremor before in my life," Khatera, 50, a resident of Kabul, told AFP after rushing out of her fifth-storey apartment in the capital.
The USGS said the quake was centered near Jurm in northeastern Afghanistan and had a depth of 187 kilometers (116 miles).
The region is frequently hit by earthquakes—especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
Two people, including a child, were killed in Laghman province, Shafiullah Rahimi, spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Natural Disaster Management, told AFP.
Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said health centers across the country had been put on high alert.
Noor Mohammad Hanifi, a shopkeeper in Kabul, set up tents in a street for his family to spend the night in.
"Nobody dares to go inside their homes," Hanifi told AFP as his family, cloaked in blankets, took shelter.
Hanafi said he felt dizzy when the quake hit as he had just returned from a long trip.
"But when I heard the doors and windows shaking I realized it was an earthquake."
Residents of an apartment block in the Afghan capital gather outside their home after the quake.