Kabul, Afghanistan — The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan late Saturday has climbed to 622, with 1,555 others injured, the Ministry of Interior Affairs reported on Monday. Authorities warned that casualties could rise as rescue efforts continue in remote areas.
The 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck at 11:47 p.m. local time on August 31, with its epicenter located about 27 kilometers deep in Kunar province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremor shook buildings across the mountainous region, toppling homes and infrastructure.
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Kunar province bore the brunt of the disaster, with 610 fatalities and 1,300 injuries recorded, along with widespread destruction of residential areas. Neighboring Nangarhar province reported 12 deaths, 255 injuries, and dozens of homes damaged, Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said. Many of the affected homes were made from mud and wood, structures particularly vulnerable to seismic activity.
Authorities and humanitarian teams have mobilized rapidly to provide relief. Security, medical, transport, food and support units have been deployed to affected areas. Rescue teams from the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Public Health are conducting search-and-rescue operations and airlifting critically injured patients to Nangarhar Regional Hospital, according to local media outlet TOLOnews.
Despite these efforts, officials warned that many villages in Kunar remain isolated due to landslides and damaged roads, complicating the delivery of aid. Humanitarian organizations are working to bring food, clean water, and medical supplies to survivors while assessing the scale of destruction in hard-to-reach areas.
Afghanistan, which faces ongoing economic hardship and limited infrastructure, is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Experts say the region’s mountainous terrain, combined with poorly constructed homes, contributes to high casualties during earthquakes.
International organizations, including the United Nations, WHO, and Red Crescent, have expressed concern and are coordinating with local authorities to provide emergency relief. Neighboring countries and donors are also reportedly mobilizing resources to assist affected communities.
The disaster comes amid ongoing challenges for Afghanistan’s population, including food insecurity, political instability, and the long-term impacts of prior natural disasters. Officials have urged residents in affected provinces to remain cautious as aftershocks continue.
Rescue teams continue to comb through the rubble, while authorities stress the importance of immediate humanitarian assistance to prevent further loss of life and alleviate suffering among the thousands displaced by the quake.
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