An earthquake occurred in northern Afghanistan on May 30, 1998, at 06:22 UTC in Takhar Province, with a moment magnitude of 6.5 and a maximum modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).

At the time, the Afghan Civil War was underway; the affected area was controlled by the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan (the "Northern Alliance").

[4] There was no available accurate map of the affected region;[4] however, this problem was mitigated as the pilots of the first Tajikistan helicopters had served with the Soviet Armed Forces in the area during the Soviet–Afghan War and were familiar with many of the villages.

[4] A sub-base for the relief efforts was established in Rostaq in Takhar Province near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, which, in spite of a lack of airfields, had open spaces for helicopter operations and a road link to Tajikistan.

[4] The United Nations (UN) and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were involved in the relief efforts of the affected area.