The quakes rocked southeastern Afghanistan about two hours apart, seriously damaging buildings in four villages.
Many mud-and-brick homes collapsed on villagers while they slept just before 2 a.m. local time.
“The first shake was very strong, when everyone was asleep,” said villager Shafiqullah, who like many Afghans uses only one name. “The first shake destroyed everything. Then the crying and the shouting started,” he told the Associated Press.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the initial 5.5 magnitude quake occurred at a very shallow depth of only 3 miles (5 km).
The epicenter was about 55 miles (85 km) southeast of the Afghan capital of Kabul. It was followed just over two hours later by a 5.1 magnitude aftershock, which was also at a shallow depth.
Southern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan are frequently hit by strong earthquakes due to their locations along the mountainous Hindu Kush fault. The mountains are where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates collide.