Kabul hit by earthquake
A strong earthquake has hit north-eastern Afghanistan, a quake that rattled the capital Kabul for about a minute, according to officials.
The US Geological Survey says today’s quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 and was located in the north-eastern province of Badakhshan in the Hindu Kush mountains. The area is often hit by earthquakes, but is sparsely populated.
A Badakhshan police official, Fazel Ahmad Naderi, says the quake was strong but noted that his cell phone still worked, meaning that towers had not been toppled. The quake hit about 12.50am local time and Naderi says he will not know about damage until daylight.
The quake rattled buildings in Kabul, about 160 miles (260km) south-west of the epicentre.
