Earthquake kills 6, injures 9 in Afghanistan's Kunar province

At least six people were killed and nine others injured as an earthquake struck eastern Kunar province early on Monday, provincial head of Natural Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Ehsanullah Ehsan said.

"The tremor jolted the region at around 02:30 a.m. local time and based on preliminary reports six persons were killed and nine others injured in Mazar Dara area of Norgal district," Ehsan told reporters.

Scores of houses were destroyed by the quake in the mountainous province, the official said, adding a survey has been launched to determine the exact figure of loss of life and property damages.

The epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3, according to reports, was 38 km northeast of Jalalabad city, capital of neighboring Nangarhar province. The quake was also felt in Afghan capital Kabul.

Previously, a devastating quake on June 22 left more than 1,000 dead and more than 3,000 others injured, mostly in the eastern Paktika and neighboring Khost provinces.