KABUL, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 31 persons have been injured as a fresh quake struck the eastern region of Afghanistan, including Nangarhar and the neighboring Laghman province on Thursday night, officials said Friday.
A total of 22 persons, including women and children, were injured due to the quake in Dara-i-Noor district of Nangarhar on Thursday night, said a statement of the provincial government.
Many houses have also been damaged in Dara-i-Noor and Koz Kunar districts of Nangarhar, the statement added.
Nine persons were injured in Nangarhar's neighboring Laghman province on Thursday night, the state-run National Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) quoted Laghman provincial government spokesman Abdul Malik Afghan as saying.
According to the official, 18 houses were destroyed or partially damaged in the tremor on Thursday night.
A 5.6-magnitude quake on the Richter scale, which was felt in the Afghan capital Kabul, struck Nangarhar, Laghman, Nuristan and its vicinity on Thursday night.
Casualties have been reported from Nangarhar and Laghman, while rescue operations have been continuing in the recently quake-hit Kunar province to recover the victims from under rubble since Sunday. ■