A third tremor of the 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan was reported on Thursday (September 4) as the death toll continues to rise, Reuters reports.
More than 2,200 people are reported to have died in relation to the deadly earthquakes that began on Sunday (August 31), with a 5.6-magnitude tremor reported on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey. No immediate reports of damage were shared at the time of publication.
The third tremor was reported at a Asadābād at a depth of 10 kilometers (about six miles). The initial earthquake was centered at a depth of 8.0 kilometers (about five miles) and reported to have struck at 11:47 p.m. local time Sunday.
A second 4.5-magnitude earthquake was reported in the same province about 20 minutes later. The second earthquake was reported to have a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles).
Afghanistan is prone to large earthquakes as it's located near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The country had previously been struck by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on October 7, 2023, which was also followed up by strong aftershocks.
The Taliban government had previously claimed that at least 4,000 people were killed in the 2023 earthquake, however, the United Nations reported that the actual number of casualties was about 1,500, still making it the deadliest natural disaster to hit Afghanistan in recent years, prior to Thursday's update. More than 90% of the people killed in the 2023 earthquakes were women and children, according to UNICEF.
Afghanistan was also previously hit by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people and injured more than 1,500 others in June 2022.