More than 1,000 people have been killed and entire villages wiped out in Afghanistan — all from a 6.0-magnitude earthquake. CBC seismologist Johanna Wagstaffe reports on why this 'moderate' quake turned catastrophic, and how geology, building codes and remote villages combined to make the disaster so deadly.

Kunar

A recent magnitude 6 earthquake in Afghanistan led to the deaths of more than a thousand people and the destruction of entire villages. While earthquakes of this size are common globally, the impact in Afghanistan was particularly severe due to several factors.

The earthquake struck just before midnight, catching most residents asleep, and had a shallow epicenter less than 10 kilometers deep. Many homes in rural Afghanistan are constructed from mud, brick, stone, and raw timber, materials that are not engineered to withstand seismic activity. Unlike wealthier countries with strict building codes, these structures are prone to collapse during earthquakes. The region's geology, located at the collision point of the Indian and Eurasian plates, makes earthquakes frequent. Additionally, the remoteness of villages, landslides, and aftershocks further complicated rescue efforts and increased the disaster's toll.

Why the Afghanistan earthquake was so deadly

More than a thousand people killed, entire villages wiped out, and it all came from a magnitude 6 earthquake. At first glance, that magnitude doesn't sound unusual. We actually see 100 to 150 earthquakes of this size every year. So why was this one so deadly? Because of where it struck, when it struck, and how people build their homes. It hit just before midnight, when most people were asleep, with an epicenter less than 10 kilometers deep. And in rural Afghanistan, homes are built with mud, brick, stone, raw timber, locally available and affordable materials. But this monolithic style isn't engineered to resist the side-to-side shaking an earthquake generates. So buildings simply crumble and bury people inside. That's the crucial difference from wealthier countries, where stronger building codes mean drop, cover, hold on, actually save lives. Like here in Canada. In this part of Afghanistan, though, the buildings themselves are the danger. And the geology matters, too. Afghanistan sits right where the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plates collide, the same collisions that are forcing the Himalayas higher each year. That makes earthquakes an unavoidable part of life in this region. Add to that the remoteness of the villages, landslides blocking access routes, and ongoing aftershocks, and you can see why this just-magnitude six ended up being catastrophic.

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