According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake occurred 34 kilometers northeast of the city of Jalalabad, capital of the eastern province of Nangarhar, at a depth of 10 kilometers, as per the Ariana News portal.

Kunar authorities noted that dozens of houses were also destroyed as a result of the tremor in the Nurgol district.

Officials said the number of casualties caused by the quake could rise, as search operations are still underway.

The quake was felt over a wide area, including Kabul, and caused economic losses and according to the Kunar Information and Culture Director, Mawlavi Najibullah Hanif, the number of human casualties could rise.

Afghanistan is still recovering from a massive earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people and leveled villages in the country’s east last June.

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