At least 22 people have died in twin earthquakes in western Afghanistan.

On Monday afternoon, two earthquakes struck Afghanistan’s western Badghis province, near the Turkmenistan border, killing at least 22 people, according to a local official.

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck at 2 p.m. local time, followed by a magnitude 4.9 quake at 4 p.m. local time, according to the US Geological Survey. They hit Qala-e-Naw, the province capital, at a distance of 41 kilometres (25 miles) east and 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast.

According to Sarwari, the more violent of the temblors struck Qadis district on the province’s southern corner, where the majority of the damage and casualties occurred. Officials were still collecting data. Only four villages had been heard from by evening, he added. According to him, the initial 4.9 quake struck Muqur district.