A devastating earthquake, registering a magnitude of 6, has claimed the lives of over 800 individuals and injured more than 1,500 in Afghanistan, according to official reports released on Monday. The catastrophe has further strained the resources of the South Asian country, which is already grappling with multiple humanitarian crises, including a significant decrease in aid and a mass repatriation of its citizens from neighboring nations.
The epicenter of the quake was in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, where the death toll has reached 622, as reported by the Taliban-led Afghan interior ministry. The quake also resulted in the destruction of numerous homes, leaving many residents homeless.
Abdul Maten Qanee, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated that all available teams have been mobilized to expedite assistance, ensuring comprehensive support in areas ranging from security to food and health.
In the capital city of Kabul, health authorities reported that rescue teams are working tirelessly to reach isolated villages scattered across an area known for its history of earthquakes and floods.
This earthquake is the deadliest to hit Afghanistan since June 2022, when a 6.1 magnitude quake claimed the lives of at least 1,000 people. Footage from Reuters Television depicted helicopters evacuating the affected individuals, while local residents assisted soldiers and medics in transporting the injured to ambulances.
The quake completely destroyed three villages in Kunar, causing significant damage in many others. The majority of the fatalities occurred in Kunar, with a smaller number reported in Nangarhar.
Rescue efforts are ongoing in the region bordering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, where the quake leveled homes constructed of mud and stone. Military rescue teams have been deployed across the two provinces, with 40 flights transporting 420 wounded and deceased individuals, according to a statement from the defense ministry.
Despite the scale of the disaster, no foreign governments have yet offered support for rescue or relief efforts, according to a foreign office spokesperson.
Afghanistan is located in a seismic hotspot, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates intersect. Last year, a series of earthquakes in the western part of the country resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people, highlighting the vulnerability of one of the world’s poorest nations to natural disasters.