SOCIETY — February 20, 2026

Magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes northeastern Afghanistan

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit northeastern Afghanistan on Thursday evening at a depth of 90.7 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Ariana News — corroborated by Khaama Press, Pajhwok and Afghanistan International — 2 min read

Magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes northeastern Afghanistan
Image courtesy Ariana News

The United States Geological Survey reported a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in northeastern Afghanistan.

The quake struck at 5:39 p.m. local time at a depth of 90.7 kilometers.

No reports of casualties or damage have emerged so far.

Read the original reporting at Ariana News →

Reliability assessment

Key facts (5.8 magnitude, northeastern Afghanistan, depth 90.7 km, time) corroborated by four independent Afghan outlets all citing USGS data, a primary authoritative source for seismic events. No conflicting reports or unverified elements.

The source language reads straight.

Across the newsrooms

Filed by 4 outlets

Filed under

Society — earthquake, northeastern Afghanistan, USGS

Reader supported

Keep Ehtebar running

Every published story uses paid tools to translate reporting, compare sources, extract claims, and produce a clearer read on Afghanistan. Reader support helps keep that work independent.

€5

helps cover daily verification runs

€15

supports a week of source comparison

€50

keeps independent analysis moving