Afghanistan: A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurs in far southern Kandahar Province at around 05:05 AFT March 19

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurred in far southern Kandahar Province at around 05:05 AFT March 19. The epicenter was about 67 km (42 miles) west-northwest of Nushki, Pakistan. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of Kandahar and southern and central Helmand provinces in Afghanistan and northern Balochistan Province in Pakistan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.