Earthquake safety in Afghanistan: what to do before, during and after

Why it matters here

Afghanistan has earthquakes often. On 31 August 2025 a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, with its centre about 27 km east-northeast of Jalalabad. The AP reported its depth as 8 km and said shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Most of the dead were in Kunar, where many rural homes are made of mud bricks and wood and many are poorly built. The Taliban government reported at least 800 dead and more than 2,500 injured in the first count.

Photo: Haroon Safi

You can see recent quakes on the earthquakes page. It lists those of magnitude 3 and above, from the USGS feed.

During the shaking

USGS and CDC give one rule, Drop, Cover and Hold On, and then the detail for where you are:

• Indoors: drop onto your hands and knees. Crawl under a sturdy table or desk if one is close and hold on to it. If there is none, crawl along an inside wall, away from windows, and cover your head and neck with your arms. Stay out of the kitchen and away from heavy furniture, mirrors and tall shelves.
• In bed: stay there, turn face down and cover your head with a pillow.
• Do not run downstairs or outside while the building shakes. Ready.gov also says to avoid doorways.
• Outdoors: move to open ground away from buildings, trees, power lines and anything that can fall.
• In a vehicle: pull over, stop, set the parking brake and stay inside until the shaking ends. Do not stop under bridges, overpasses, trees, signs or power lines.
• In the mountains: watch for falling rock and landslides loosened by the quake (USGS).
• If you use a wheelchair or walker: lock the wheels if you can, get as low as you safely can, cover your head and neck and hold on (Ready.gov).

Straight after

1. Expect aftershocks. Drop, cover and hold on again when one comes.
2. Check yourself, then others, for injuries. Help only as far as you are able to.
3. Look for damage to the building, gas and water leaks and fallen power lines. If the building is damaged, leave quickly and do not go back in.
4. If you are trapped, use a whistle or tap a pipe or wall rather than shouting, and cover your mouth with your shirt.
5. Know where your gas, electricity and water shut-offs are and turn them off if needed (CDC).
6. Send text messages rather than calling, to save the battery and keep the lines free.
7. Wear long sleeves, gloves and sturdy shoes when you clear rubble, and do not lift heavy debris alone.

The emergency numbers page and the hospitals page list who to call and where to go.

A family plan, before it happens

Photo: Qasim Mirzaie

• Meet and talk. Ready.gov advises a family meeting to decide how you will get alerts, where you will shelter, your way out and how you will reach each other. Think about each person's age, who needs help, medicines and any disability.
• Choose a meeting place that everyone knows and can find, outside the home. Know a second way out of each room if you can (CDC).
• Practise Drop, Cover and Hold On with the whole family.
• Keep a kit for at least three days: water, food that keeps, a first aid kit, a torch with spare batteries, a whistle, a radio, a phone charger and a backup battery, a dust mask, and copies of important documents such as passports. Ready.gov and CDC list these.
• Make the home safer. Keep heavy things on low shelves, fasten tall cupboards and heavy mirrors, and move them away from beds. Check the chimney and roof for loose bricks and tiles (CDC).

No official page says a mud-brick house can be made safe with a small fix. If you are building or repairing, ask a qualified engineer. Do not pay anyone who promises that a wall is "earthquake proof" without showing you how.