KABUL: A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing around 800 people and injuring more than 2,800, with officials warning that the toll could rise as rescue operations continue. Helicopters and emergency teams are working to transport the wounded from collapsed villages while survivors search through the rubble for loved ones.
The 6.0-magnitude quake hit at midnight at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, causing widespread destruction across several districts. Entire villages were flattened, particularly in Kunar province, where authorities reported hundreds of casualties and massive structural damage. In one village alone, at least 30 people lost their lives. Health facilities, already struggling with limited resources, are overwhelmed as thousands of injured continue to pour in.
Officials confirmed that at least three villages in the eastern region were completely destroyed, while many others suffered severe damage. Residents, soldiers, and medics are working together to carry the injured to ambulances as helicopters evacuate the most critical cases. Local authorities fear the number of dead and injured could climb further once remote mountainous communities are reached.
The disaster comes at a time when Afghanistan is already facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to dwindling international aid and mass deportations of refugees from neighboring countries. The fragile healthcare system, weakened by years of conflict and underfunding, is under immense strain as it struggles to cope with the scale of the tragedy.
So far, officials say no foreign governments have formally offered rescue or relief support. Afghanistan lies in a highly active seismic zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. The country has a tragic history of deadly quakes, including one last year in the western region that claimed over a thousand lives. This latest disaster highlights the extreme vulnerability of Afghanistan to natural catastrophes.
