Afghanistan Earthquake Kills Over 600, Thousands Injured as Rescue Operations Intensify

A powerful earthquake has left Afghanistan reeling, with more than 600 people confirmed dead and thousands injured after homes crumbled under the midnight tremors. The disaster struck late Sunday, rattling Kabul and even jolting Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

According to Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani, “610 people were killed and 1,300 were injured in Kunar province, with numerous houses destroyed,” while in nearby Nangarhar province, at least 12 more lives were lost and another 255 people wounded.

Rescue operations are now in full swing as Taliban authorities, aided by the United Nations, rush to reach devastated communities. “The UN in Afghanistan is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that struck the eastern region & claimed hundreds of lives,” the organisation said on X, confirming that emergency teams are already delivering lifesaving aid.

The US Geological Survey reported that the epicentre was just 27 kilometres from Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, at a shallow depth of eight kilometres—making the destruction even more severe. A series of aftershocks, including a 5.2-magnitude tremor early Monday morning, added to the devastation.

Afghanistan, sitting at the collision point of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, has long been vulnerable to deadly quakes. In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude tremor killed over 1,000 people in Paktika province. Now, this latest disaster comes as the nation, already battered by four decades of war and dwindling international aid, struggles to manage yet another humanitarian crisis.