A large and very destructive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 occurred in Afghanistan on October 26. The quake also shook other countries in south Asia, including Pakistan and India. In 2005, an earthquake in the same region killed over 70,000 people.

The most important difference between the two quakes was that while the 2005 one took place around 20 kilometres below the surface, the latest one occurred at a depth of over 200km. Deep earthquakes do not usually cause severe damage. These quakes are mainly caused by the Indian tectonic plate, which is pushing north into the Eurasian plate.

Three earthquakes struck close to Malta during October, two of which were reported to be felt by people residing in the south of the islands.

Readers who experience any earthquake-related shaking are invited to fill in the online questionnaire at the website below.

http://seismic.research.um.edu.mt/questionnaire.php

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