Kabul, Sep 1: An earthquake in Afghanistan’s east has killed at least 610 people and injured 1,300, a spokesman for the Taliban government said Monday.
The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighbouring Nangarhar province, destroying numerous villages and causing extensive damage.
It struck at 11:47 pm and was just 8 kilometres deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Qani confirmed the casualty figures to the Associated Press, saying the late-night quake killed 610 people and injured 1,300 in Kunar. Many houses were destroyed.
In Nangarhar, a dozen people died and hundreds were injured, said Qani. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck about 17 miles from Jalalabad, close to the Pakistan border, at a shallow depth of 5 miles, making it particularly destructive. The Afghan Public Health Ministry said rescue operations have been launched, with hundreds mobilized to assist survivors.
Since the main tremor, at least five aftershocks between 4.5 and 5.2 magnitude have rattled the region. Authorities warned aftershocks could continue for days and potentially cause further damage.
The mountainous terrain and vulnerability to landslides in eastern Afghanistan are hampering rescue operations. Officials cautioned that casualty figures could rise as information trickles in from remote areas.
Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes, sitting at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. In 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake killed around 1,000 people in the east, while three back-to-back 6.3-magnitude quakes in Herat last year killed about 1,500.
The latest disaster comes as Afghanistan faces severe humanitarian challenges, including four years of drought and food insecurity worsened by the return of over 2.3 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan this year. Aid agencies warn millions remain at risk heading into winter. (Agencies)
UPDATED
