Strong earthquake rattles parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan leaving dozens injured

6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit Afghanistan near the borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan

Dozens of people have been injured in a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit Afghanistan near the borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan, just two months after a deadly quake in the same region.

The US Geological Survey had initially reported the quake’s magnitude at 6.2.

The quake hit at a depth of 203.5 kilometers, about 280 kilometers north-east of the Afghan capital Kabul at 11:44pm on Friday.

At least 30 people were reported injured in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar and 12 others in the nearby Afghan province of Nangarhar.

In October, a magnitude-7.5 quake ripped across Pakistan and Afghanistan, killing almost 400 people and flattening buildings in rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts.

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.