Tectonic setting

The Himalayas, partially formed by the collision of tectonic plates, are prone to devastating earthquakes.
Afghanistan is situated near the southern extent of the Eurasian Plate.[2] Most of these earthquakes are
associated with reverse, thrust, or strike-slip faulting. Large earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 7.5
have occurred in the region with an average recurrence interval of 15 years. These earthquakes
correspond to reverse faulting at a depth of 170 to 280 km (110 to 170 mi).[3] These earthquakes, rather
than occurring at a plate boundary, are sourced from within the Indian Plate as it dives beneath the
Hindu Kush. As the tectonic slab of the Indian Plate descends at a near-vertical angle into the mantle, it
stretches and begins to "tear", eventually leading to a slab detachment.[4] This action results in stress
accommodation along faults that produces earthquakes when ruptured. Smaller shallow focus
earthquakes are also observed in the region, particularly associated with north–south trending zones of
right lateral strike-slip, such as the Chaman Fault, with an increasing degree of shortening to the north,
together accommodating the highly oblique convergence between the Indian and the Eurasian Plates

Pakistan

Tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, and Peshawar.[20] In Swat District,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a teenager was killed from a collapsing wall and a police station was
damaged.[8][21] Two people also died due to a wall collapse in the district,[22] while a falling wall
killed another child.[23] In Swat District, there were power outages, severe damage and 250
injuries.[8][22][23] In Manshera, a woman died of a heart attack.[21] In Lower Dir District, one person
died in a stampede related to the earthquake, a man and a woman were killed due to wall
collapses and 43 people were injured from various causes.[21][23][24] The Karakoram Highway was
closed due to blockages from landslides.[21] In Islamabad, one person died of a heart attack and a
multi-storey apartment building was damaged.[21][24] There was also a fatality in Bajaur District.[20]
Buildings were damaged in Rawalpindi, including six which were deemed in risk of collapse and
were evacuated. Two people were injured and another two went unconscious in the city, all due
to panic.[25] There were 302 injuries and 19 collapsed homes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[23][26] In
Abbottabad, one person died from panic and fear.[27] In Mardan District, the wall of a police
station collapsed, causing an injury.[27] Five people were injured in Swabi District.[28] Dozens of
houses collapsed and 40 people were injured in Buner District.[28]

India

Tremors from the earthquake were felt across parts of North India, particularly in Jammu and
Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and the National Capital
Region.[29][30] Disruptions of electricity and mobile services occurred in some parts of Jammu and
Kashmir.[31][32] A woman was injured after her house collapsed in Poonch, with reports of cracks
in other houses and a wall collapse in the town and in the neighboring Nowshera.[33][34][35] Cracks
were reported in some houses in the state capital Srinagar.[36] In Delhi, some buildings were
reported to have cracked or tilted.[37]

Tajikistan
In Rudaki District, a house was damaged, causing its occupants to evacuate.[38]