Afghanistan Earthquake: A Disaster Compounded by Tectonic and Human Vulnerability
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Geography (World & Indian Geography - Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Himalayas/Hindu Kush); Disaster Management; International Relations (India and its neighborhood - Afghanistan).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Geography): Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, etc., their causes and effects.
General Studies Paper 3 (Disaster Management): Disaster and disaster management.
Key Highlights from the News
An earthquake caused extensive damage in the eastern Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar.
The earthquake, measuring 6.0 magnitude on the Richter scale, killed over 800 people and injured thousands.
The epicentre of the earthquake was near Jalalabad.
The earthquake was relatively shallow, and the extent of the damage was amplified because the houses in these areas were built with fragile mud-brick homes.
Afghanistan is located in the Hindu Kush mountain range. This region is considered a high seismic zone because it is near the confluence of the Eurasia and India tectonic plates.
Since the disaster occurred in a remote, mountainous area, road blockages are making rescue efforts difficult.
Many of the victims were Afghan returnees who had recently returned from Iran and Pakistan, which compounded their suffering.
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