  | |
| UTC time | 1991-01-31 23:03:33 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 346020 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 1 February 1991 |
| Local time | 03:33:33 AFT 04:03:33 PST |
| Magnitude | Mw 6.8 |
| Depth | 143.2 km (89.0 mi) |
| Epicenter | 35°54′40″N 70°28′41″E / 35.911°N 70.478°E |
| Type | Reverse |
| Areas affected | Afghanistan, Pakistan, USSR (present-day Tajikistan) |
| Max. intensity | MMI X (Extreme) |
| Casualties | 729–1,303 dead |
The 1991 Hindu Kush earthquake severely affected Afghanistan, Pakistan and the USSR (present-day Tajikistan) on 1 February. It was an intermediate-depth earthquake with a hypocenter 143.2 km (89.0 mi) beneath the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan. The shock measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The reverse-faulting earthquake occurred in a seismically active region associated with faulting within a deforming oceanic plate at depth.
The shaking was felt across parts of South Asia and the USSR. Hundreds of deaths were reported in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and damage was estimated at US $26 million. In Pakistan, 5,100 homes were destroyed and another 79,900 were damaged in Pakistan. Landslides were reported, some reportedly wiped out entire villages. Over 500 people died in Afghanistan. In present-day Tajikistan, three people died of heart attacks.