KABUL – A powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing more than 800 people and injuring thousands in a remote, mountainous region. The tremors, followed by multiple aftershocks, flattened mud-brick homes and triggered a massive rescue and relief operation by Taliban authorities and the United Nations.
The earthquake hit just before midnight, with its epicenter near Jalalabad in the Nangarhar province at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers. This shallow depth amplified the shaking, which was felt as far away as Kabul and Islamabad, Pakistan. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), more than 1.2 million people likely experienced strong or very strong shaking.
A Rising Death Toll
Initial reports from the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed that at least 800 people were killed and 2,500 were injured in the hardest-hit province of Kunar alone. An additional 12 people died and 255 were injured in neighboring Nangarhar. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers reach isolated villages.
Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by the remote terrain, poor telecoms networks, and roads blocked by landslides. The UN migration agency noted that some of the most impacted villages in Kunar “remain inaccessible.” In response, the defense ministry has launched 40 flight sorties to transport the injured and deliver medical supplies.
The devastation highlights Afghanistan’s vulnerability to seismic activity. The country is situated near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, a region prone to frequent earthquakes. This latest tragedy follows a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in October 2023 that killed over 1,500 people in western Herat province. The constant threat of natural disasters, combined with decades of conflict, continues to place an immense strain on the nation’s humanitarian and recovery efforts.