April 18, 2010 Earthquake: Samangan Province, Afghanistan
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Samangan Province, Afghanistan on April 18, 2010 at 20:28:50 UTC, 13 km below the surface. It killed 11 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 18, 2010
- Time
- 20:28:50 UTC
- Place
- Samangan Province, Afghanistan
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 13 km (8 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 35.633° N, 67.658° E
- Country
- Afghanistan
The toll
- Deaths
- 11
- Injuries
- 70
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- 2,000
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.
Eleven people killed, more than 70 injured, 2,000 houses
destroyed and dozens of livestock killed in Samangan.
Landslides blocked roads in the area. Felt (IV) at
Mazar-e Sharif and (II) at Kabul. Also felt at
Baghlan, Bagrami, Bamyan, Baraki Barak, Gazab, Panjab,
Shibirghan and Shahrak. Felt at Samarqand, Uzbekistan
and (II) at Dushanbe, Tajikistan. (reference #1053)
An earthquake of 5.3 magnitude hit central Afghanistan early on Monday, killing at least seven people and wounding more than 30, a provincial official said. Ghulam Sakhi, deputy governor of northern Samangan province, where the epicenter was located, said three districts in the area were particularly affected. "Seven people were killed and 34 have been wounded. Forty houses have collapsed," said Sakhi, adding the casualty toll could increase.
Sakhi said access to one of the three districts had been blocked because of damage caused by the quake and until rescuers were able to approach the area the final toll would not be known. (reference #7036)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 10, 1954, Northern, Afghanistan
- March 25, 2002, Baghlan, Nahrin, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- December 16, 1982, Northeastern, Afghanistan
- May 1, 1994, Tashiak, Termiz, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- June 9, 1956, Kabul, Afghanistan
- June 11, 2012, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- March 19, 1976, Shamagan Province, Hindu-Kush, Afghanistan
- November 2, 2025, Northern, Afghanistan
- June 24, 1972, Sarsangi, Narin Counties, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- June 1, 2001, Parvan, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- November 28, 2018, Baghlan, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- October 18, 1874, Afghanistan
- 50, Aikhanum, Afghanistan
- January 1, 1911, Kabul, Afghanistan
- May 15, 818, Balkha, Hindu-Kush, Kazahkstan, Afghanistan, India
More
Significant earthquakes of 2010The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2010Recent 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 9012.