Powerful earthquake rocks eastern Afghanistan, at least 10 killed

#Afghanistan

#Afghanistan Earthquake

#Kunar

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan, with early reports indicating that at least 10 people were killed and 20 others injured, according to sources.

The tremor shook the Kunar and Nangahar province at about midnight local time on Monday, local sources told Al Jazeera, with significant damage reported across several districts in the mountainous regions.

The sources said the toll was preliminary and that figures are likely to rise as assessments continue.

The United States Geological Survey said the 6.0 magnitude quake was centred 27 kilometres (17 miles) east of the city of Jalalabad in the Nangahar province.

A 4.5 magnitude tremor occurred a short while later near Basawul in Nangahar.
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from neighbouring Pakistan, said the devastation from the earthquake was likely to be high as the tremor struck at a shallow depth.

Chris Elders is a specialist in structural geology and plate tectonics at Curtin University.

He joins us from Perth in Australia to discuss the latest developments.