Dozens of people have been killed and homes destroyed in back-to-back earthquakes in western Afghanistan’s Badghis province.

At least four people were also wounded by collapsing roofs in Qadis district, provincial head of information Baz Mohammad Sarwari told dpa, adding the casualty figures could rise as rescuers sift through building debris.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded two earthquakes, both centred roughly 50 kilometres from the provincial capital Qala-e Now on Tuesday morning (Australian time).

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The first quake struck in the early evening (local time) and had a magnitude of 4.9. The second hit about two hours later and registered a magnitude 5.3.

More than 100 homes are estimated to be partially or completely damaged across the province, a local official told AAP.

Earthquakes are common in the region and often cause significant damage.

-with AAP