The death toll from a 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on late Sunday, when most of the residents were asleep, has climbed to 800, as rescue operations continue.
According to Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, some 610 deaths have been reported from Kunar province, while 12 people were killed in adjoining Nangarhar province, local broadcaster Tolo News reported.
More than 1,550 people, of them 1,300 in Kunar, have also been injured, he added.
The administration has deployed choppers to rescue and airlift the injured as roads are blocked due to landslides which are preventing rescue teams from reaching several affected areas, an Information Ministry official told Anadolu.
The death toll is likely to rise as many people are feared trapped under the rubble, the official added.
Locals described it as one of the most powerful earthquakes to have hit the country.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at 11.47 pm local time, located 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad at a depth of 8 kilometers.
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Casualties have been reported in Nur Gal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi and Chapa Dara districts of Kunar province.
The official said the figures for the number of dead and injured are not final because officials are still communicating with local residents in many remote areas and aid teams are on their way.
At least two other earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 each struck the same area following the major one, according to the USGS.
The UN said it is assisting the local administration in rescue and relief operations.
**”The UN in Afghanistan is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that struck the eastern region & claimed hundreds of lives, injuring many more. Our teams are on the ground, delivering emergency assistance & lifesaving support. Our thoughts are with the affected communities,” it said in a post on US social media company X.
Surrounded by mountains, Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes as it sits near the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, a highly active seismic zone.
Many of the recent quakes have had shallow depths, which increased the intensity of shaking on the surface and destruction.
Here is a timeline of major earthquakes that struck the country since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and before.
Oct. 7, 2023
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks in Herat province killed more than 2,000 people and injured more than 9,000. The earthquake was the country’s deadliest in years.
March 21, 2023
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the northeastern province of Badakhshan, killing at least 13 people in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan.
Sept. 5, 2022
At least eight people were killed after tremors hit Kunar province, causing dozens of houses to collapse.
June 22, 2022
A shallow, 6.1-magnitude earthquake in the eastern provinces of Paktika, Paktia, Khost, and Nangarhar killed at least 1,036 people and caused thousands of homes to collapse.
Jan. 17, 2022
A 5.9 magnitude shallow earthquake in the western province of Badghis killed at least 26 people.
Oct. 26, 2015
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake, one of the most powerful quakes in the country’s history, killed 399 deaths in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan and India.
