A powerful earthquake late Sunday night left widespread destruction across eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 600 people and injuring over a thousand others, authorities confirmed Monday.
The tremor, which struck just before midnight, was felt as far as Kabul and Islamabad in neighbouring Pakistan.
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake’s epicentre was located 27 kilometres from Jalalabad in Nangarhar province at a shallow depth of just eight kilometres — a factor that often increases devastation.
The Afghan interior ministry reported that Kunar province bore the brunt of the disaster, with 610 people confirmed dead and 1,300 injured, while neighbouring Nangarhar province recorded 12 fatalities and 255 injuries.
Hundreds of homes were flattened, leaving families trapped beneath rubble.
Rescue operations were quickly launched by Taliban authorities with support from the United Nations.
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“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, noting that emergency assistance and lifesaving supplies were already being delivered to affected areas.
Throughout the night, the region endured a series of aftershocks, including a 5.2-magnitude tremor recorded at around 4 a.m. local time, further complicating rescue efforts.
Afghanistan, sitting on the volatile junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, is no stranger to earthquakes. In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake in Paktika province killed more than 1,000 people and left tens of thousands displaced.
The country’s vulnerability is compounded by decades of conflict, poverty, and shrinking foreign aid, all of which have weakened its capacity to respond to such natural disasters.
The latest tragedy comes just days after flooding in Nangarhar claimed five lives and destroyed farmland, underscoring the multiple crises facing the country.