At least 12 killed as strong earthquake rattles Afghanistan, Pakistan

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled much of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring over 200 in the two countries.

The epicenter was in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near the remote Afghan province of Badakhshan bordering Pakistan, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre. The tremor was very deep, 194 km.

Nine of the confirmed deaths were reported in the valley region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, the BBC reported.

Three others were killed in Afghanistan, the BBC reported citing the country's health ministry spokesman.

Tremors were felt over a 1,000-km area that spans India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.