Dozens of people were feared dead and scores of houses destroyed by an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan early today.
The quakes destroyed about 100 houses in two villages in Nangarhar province, said governor’s spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai.
The provincial police chief, Ghafor Khan, said at least 19 people were killed and 20 injured, but Mohammad Tahir Zahir, deputy head of the provincial council of Nangarhar province, said 40 people had died.
The National Disaster and Preparedness Centre said the toll would rise as more bodies were recovered from the rubble.
The US Geological Survey said Nangarhar province was hit by two earthquakes - a 5.5 magnitude quake at about 2am and a 5.1 magnitude aftershock two hours later.
Mr Khan said two villages suffered the most damage - Sargad Kheil and Khodi Kheil, both in Sherzad district, about 50 miles east of Kabul.
A villager in Sherzad, Shah Mohammad Khan, said 40 people were killed and 60 wounded, but government officials did not confirm those figures.
Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountain range is hit by dozens of minor earthquakes each year. Many Afghan homes are made of dried mud, so even moderate earthquakes can cause many deaths and major damage to infrastructure.
AP