The epicenter of the earthquake was in a mountainous region in Afghanistan's northeast near the border with Pakistan, the United States Geological Survey reported.

At least ten people were killed and eight others injured, and many houses have also been destroyed in Afghanistan's northeastern Laghman province, said Shafiullah Rahimi, spokesman for the ministry of disaster management.

“But the death toll may climb as search and rescue teams reach more affected villages. Some of the areas struck by the quake are extremely remote and don’t have cell phone service,” Rahimi added.

In Pakistan, at least nine people died – including two children – and at least 44 others were injured as houses and other buildings collapsed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked disaster agencies to take emergency measures to help the earthquake-affected people.

“Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's prayer for well-being and safety regarding the recent earthquake. Prime Minister's directive to the National Disaster Management Authority and other relevant institutions to be prepared to deal with any emergency situation,” his office wrote on Facebook.

Shaking was felt over 1000km by approximately 285M people in Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

On 22 June 2022, more than 1,000 people were killed after a 5.9-magnitude quake struck Afghanistan's Paktika province. (ILKHA)