A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan on Sunday, just two days after a magnitude-6 quake killed more than 1,400 people and injured thousands in the same region, raising fears of further damage and wider consequences. The latest quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, the same as the one that struck Sunday night.

The latest incident comes after one of the most devastating earthquakes to hit Afghanistan in recent years, which flattened entire villages in isolated mountainous areas. So far, there is no accurate information on the extent of the damage from today's earthquake. The difficult mountainous landscape is significantly hindering the work of rescue teams to provide aid to the affected settlements, according to Al Jazeera reports.

According to the latest figures from the Taliban authorities, at least 1,411 people have been killed, 3,124 have been injured, and over 5,400 houses have collapsed. These figures were confirmed by the Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. The Afghan Red Crescent humanitarian organization has expressed concern that many people may still be under the rubble. Meanwhile, the United Nations Coordinator for Afghanistan warned that the number of victims could rise further.

Afghanistan, a country with rugged and isolated terrain, is particularly susceptible to deadly earthquakes, especially in the mountainous Hindu Kush region, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. The provinces hardest hit by the latest quake are Kunar and Nangarhar, in the eastern part of the country.Al Jazeera/