Deadly earthquake hits near Afghanistan's Jalalabad

At least eight people have been in an earthquake in north-eastern Afghanistan and the toll could rise, according to an official quoted by the state news agency. 

"Sunday night's earthquake has caused financial and human losses in Kunar province," Mawlavi Najibullah Hanif, Director of Information and Culture of Kunar and Governor's Spokesman, told Bakhtar News Agency on Monday, adding the number of casualties could increase. 

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad in the early hours of Monday morning.

The latest quake was felt in the provinces of Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar, and in the capital Kabul.

"We are collecting information from other areas regarding casualties and damages," deputy minister for disaster management Sharafuddin Muslim told AFP.

READ MORE: Earthquake survivors in Afghanistan 'at risk' of disease outbreak

Natural calamities

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes – especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

On June 22, the country's deadliest earthquake in over two decades – of magnitude 5.9 – killed more than 1,000 people and injured thousands. 

In 2015, about 380 people were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan when a 7.5-magnitude earthquake ripped across the two countries.

In recent months Afghanistan has also been hit by flash floods that have killed about 200 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

Such disasters pose a huge logistical challenge for Afghanistan's Taliban government, which came into power last year.

READ MORE: Afghan quake survivors suffer as aid hampered by floods