M5.1 Earthquake 34 km WSW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan — October 21, 2025
2025-10-21 18:14:48 UTC (2025-10-21) · approx. 11:14 PM UTC+5 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M6.1 mainshock.
On October 21, 2025 at 18:14 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 intermediate depth earthquake struck 34 km WSW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan, at a depth of 237.5 km and coordinates 36.6073°, 71.1564°. This earthquake was detected by 131 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 401, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 6.1 mainshock that occurred 19 days ago 43 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 3 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for weeks to months as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
The epicenter is located in Afghanistan, a region characterized by the Hindu Kush deep seismic zone, where remnant subducted lithosphere produces intermediate-depth earthquakes at 150-300 km. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 4 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
71.1564°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Ashkāsham, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 34 km WSW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan on October 21, 2025 at 18:14 UTC had a depth of 237.5 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.6073°, 71.1564°, which is 34 km WSW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M6.1 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.1 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 6.1 mainshock that occurred earlier 43 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Has Afghanistan had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Afghanistan was the M7.5 Hindu Kush earthquake of October 26, 2015. Today's magnitude 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000riia). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, October 21, 2025). M5.1 Earthquake 34 km WSW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan — October 21, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000riia/