A magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck in remote eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, according to the USGS. The moderate quake caused significant damage to nearby villages. Reports of more than 1,000 fatalities have emerged.
The region sits on the edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate, which wraps around the Indian Plate as the latter slowly collides with the southern margin of Asia.
Southeastern Afghanistan is made up of a series of roughly northeast-southwest trending mountain ridges and is dissected by a number of faults. It is susceptible to strong shaking.
