A devastating earthquake and a series of violent aftershocks have killed more than 622 people in eastern Afghanistan, leaving homes flattened and families shattered in the region.
Rescue teams are racing against time to reach survivors amid widespread destruction.
The tremor hit just before midnight, shaking buildings across eastern Afghanistan and reaching as far as Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital.
In Kunar province, near the quake’s epicentre, authorities reported at least 620 deaths and over 1,300 injuries, with countless homes destroyed. Nangarhar province also suffered, with 12 fatalities and 255 people injured.
“The loss of life and property is tragic,” said Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesperson for the interior ministry. “Emergency response teams are working tirelessly to support those affected.”
Taliban officials, alongside the United Nations, have mobilised aid to the hardest-hit areas. The UN in Afghanistan said on X that its teams were “delivering emergency assistance and lifesaving support to communities devastated by the earthquake.”
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck at a shallow depth of eight kilometres, approximately 27 kilometres from Jalalabad city in Nangarhar.
Shallow earthquakes often inflict more severe damage than deeper tremors. A series of aftershocks followed through the night, including a strong 5.2-magnitude quake just after 4:00 am local time.
Afghanistan, located along the seismically active Hindu Kush mountain range, is no stranger to earthquakes.
The region has endured repeated natural disasters, including flooding in Nangarhar just days earlier that killed five people and destroyed crops.
In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake in Paktika province claimed over 1,000 lives and left tens of thousands homeless.
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