M5.5 earthquake strikes near Jurm, Afghanistan

An earthquake measured at M5.5 occurred at 17:57 UTC on July 1, 2026, approximately 50 km (31 miles) southwest of Jurm, Afghanistan. The seismic event struck at a depth of 216.7 km (134.7 miles), as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The coordinates place the hypocenter at 70.4°E, 36.5°N, within a mountainous region of northeastern Afghanistan. The area is characterized by remote terrain with scattered villages and small towns, and Jurm is a significant local community nearby.

Given the region’s geography, typical infrastructure near the epicenter would include rural roads, regional highways, and basic energy transmission lines. Larger population centers and critical infrastructure such as major highways, airports, or significant energy facilities are likely to be further away from the earthquake’s epicenter.

There is no tsunami threat associated with this earthquake, based on its inland location and available data.

The significance index is 465 (on a scale that runs through 1 000), reflecting the event’s magnitude and estimated regional impact.

Northeastern Afghanistan lies near the complex interaction zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, an area known for its relatively frequent intermediate-depth seismic activity due to compressional forces.

This information was last updated at 18:13 UTC on July 1, 2026.

For further details, see the USGS event page: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000t9gg