April 16, 2009 Earthquake: Nangarhar, Afghanistan
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Nangarhar, Afghanistan on April 16, 2009 at 21:27:51 UTC, 6 km below the surface. It killed 19 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- April 16, 2009
- Time
- 21:27:51 UTC
- Place
- Nangarhar, Afghanistan
- Magnitude
- 5.4 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 6 km (4 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 34.185° N, 70.076° E
- Country
- Afghanistan
The toll
- Deaths
- 19
- Injuries
- 51
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 200
- Houses damaged
- 200
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
At least 19 people killed, 51 injured, more than 200 homes destroyed and some livestock killed in Nangarhar. Felt (V) at
Jalalabad and (III) at Kabul. Also felt at Fayzabad,
Nurestan, Panjab and Zarghun Shahr. Felt at Bhakkar,
Chitral, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- August 31, 2025, Kunar, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
- June 21, 2022, Paktika Province, Pakistan, Afghanistan
- February 19, 1842, Jalalabad, Afghanistan
- February 11, 1999, Lowgar, Vardak, Kabul, Afghanistan
- April 24, 2013, Kama, Afghanistan
- March 19, 1997, Bajaur, Chitral, Pakistan
- October 25, 1990, Chitral, Mardan, Malakand, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- September 4, 2022, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
- May 20, 1992, Peshawar, Kohat, Shakkar Khel, Pakistan
- June 1, 2001, Parvan, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- July 18, 2004, Paktia Province, Afghanistan
- February 1, 1984, Khorog, Jalalabad, Pakistan, Afghanistan
- July 6, 1505, Kabul, Afghanistan
- October 18, 1874, Afghanistan
- July 18, 2022, Hawst, Paktiya, Afghanistan
More
Significant earthquakes of 2009The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2009Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 8318.