Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, the head of the Taliban government’s emergency response service, said most of the casualties were in the eastern province of Paktika. At least 500 people have been injured, report local news media.
Deaths have also been reported in nearby Nangarhar and Khost provinces. The earthquake struck about 44 km from the city of Khost in the province of the same name, near the Pakistani border, at a depth of 51 km, the US Geological Survey said. USGS† Photos on Afghan media show images of collapsed houses.
The earthquake was also felt by millions of Pakistani residents, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC). There are currently no reports of casualties or damage from that country.