Origin time 21:47 UTC Depth 224 km (139 mi) Casualties 5 dead 1 injured | Magnitude 6.5 Mw Max. intensity VI (Strong) Date 12 December 2005 | |
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Areas affected AfghanistanPakistanTajikistan Similar 2005 Qeshm earthquake, 2005 Miyagi earthquake, 2008 Ziarat earthquake, October 2015 Hindu Ku, 1935 Quetta earthquake | ||
The 2005 Hindu Kush earthquake hit northeastern Afghanistan with a magnitude of 6.5 on December 12 at 21:47 (UTC). According to the United States Geological Survey's ShakeMap and Did You Feel It? products, the maximum Mercalli intensity was VI (Strong) at Chitral. Five people were killed in the Hindu Kush region and landslides blocked several roads near Bagh, Kashmir. The earthquake occurred some 65 miles away from Faizabad, a city in the Hindu Kush mountains, but it could be felt in many neighboring areas. It could even be felt about 200 miles away in Islamabad, Pakistan. The quake was strong enough to trigger panic among survivors of October's devastating earthquake, who came out from their makeshift shelters in freezing temperatures. Although magnitude-6 earthquakes typically cause severe damage, this quake caused relatively little due to the fact that it occurred deep underground (about 140 miles).