[ADN Kronos] Two earthquakes measuring 5.5 and 5.1 in the Richter scale struck the Hindu Kush region, near the border with Pakistan early on Friday, killing at least 22 people, injuring 20 others and destroying 200 homes. The earthquakes struck the country's eastern Nangahar province. However, villagers clawing through the rubble said the toll was at least 40 and likely to rise. God smote them, huh? Prob'ly not Islamic enough. They likely deserved what they got.
The first quake struck at 1:57 am local time at a depth of eight kilometres, while the second one struck two hours later at a depth of 3 kilometres, the US Geological Survey's website said. The quake was also felt in the country's capital, Kabul, located 90 kilometres away.
Earthquakes are common in both Northern Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan due to the collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. A 7.6-magnitude earthquake in northwest Pakistan and Kashmir in October 2005 killed 74,000 people and displaced 3.5 million others.