Kabul, Afghanistan — At least 812 people have been confirmed dead and 2,817 others injured after a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, government officials said on Monday.
According to Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Afghan interim government, the worst-hit areas were the districts of Nurgal, Suki, Watapur, and Chapa Dara in Kunar province, where at least 800 people were killed and 2,500 injured. In neighboring Nangarhar province, 12 people were reported dead and 255 injured, while Laghman province recorded 58 injuries and Nuristan province reported four.
RELATED NEWS : At least 622 killed, 1,555 injured in East Afghanistan earthquake
Officials warned that the toll is expected to rise as entire villages have been reduced to rubble. The rugged terrain, combined with poor infrastructure, has hampered rescue efforts, but emergency response teams have been deployed to deliver aid and evacuate survivors.
The earthquake struck at 11:47 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located 27 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad, Nangarhar’s capital, at a shallow depth of eight kilometers. Its impact was felt across eastern provinces, flattening homes and sending residents fleeing into the night.
“The scale of devastation is unimaginable,” a Taliban official said, describing widespread destruction across rural villages.
The United Nations’ humanitarian agency confirmed the figures, noting that Afghanistan is already grappling with a humanitarian crisis marked by prolonged drought, aid cuts, and widespread food insecurity.
Survivors recounted harrowing scenes. Faridullah Fazli, a resident of Asadabad in Kunar province, said the tremors jolted him awake: “There was a very strong earthquake, accompanied by sounds that were very scary. We didn’t sleep until morning. After the earthquake, there were small tremors, and there still are.”
He added that he spent the night helping transport the dead and wounded to clinics and hospitals. “It was a very scary situation — just an atmosphere of fear and terror,” he said.
In the village of Mazar Dara, a local resident reported that 95% of homes had collapsed, with nearly every household reporting injuries. “There are five to ten wounded in every family,” he said.
Relief efforts are ongoing, but authorities and aid agencies say the true extent of the tragedy will only become clear in the coming days.
India rushes aid to quake-hit Afghanistan
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with his Afghan counterpart Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, expressing condolences over the earthquake tragedy.
He said India has delivered 1,000 family tents in Kabul, while 15 tonnes of food aid is being sent from Kabul to Kunar. More relief supplies will follow from India starting tomorrow, he added, affirming that India stands with Afghanistan in this difficult time.
SOURCE : AGENCIES | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |
