A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6 has resulted in the loss of over 800 lives and left more than 1,500 injured in Afghanistan, as per official statements released on Monday. This disaster has further burdened the South Asian nation, which is already dealing with several humanitarian issues, including a significant reduction in aid and a large-scale repatriation of its citizens from neighboring countries.
The quake’s epicenter was located in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, where the death toll has risen to 822, as reported by the Taliban-led Afghan interior ministry. The earthquake also led to the destruction of numerous homes, rendering many residents homeless.
Abdul Maten Qanee, a spokesperson for the ministry, announced that all available teams have been mobilized to provide immediate assistance, ensuring comprehensive support in areas from security to food and health.
In Kabul, the capital city, health authorities reported that rescue teams are working around the clock to reach isolated villages scattered across an area known for its history of earthquakes and floods.
This earthquake is the most deadly to strike Afghanistan since June 2022, when a 6.1 magnitude quake resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 people. Reuters Television footage showed helicopters evacuating affected individuals, while local residents aided soldiers and medics in transporting the injured to ambulances.
The quake completely obliterated three villages in Kunar, causing significant damage in many others. The majority of the fatalities occurred in Kunar, with a smaller number reported in Nangarhar.
Rescue efforts continue in the region bordering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, where the quake demolished homes built of mud and stone. Military rescue teams have been deployed across the two provinces, with 40 flights transporting 420 wounded and deceased individuals, according to a statement from the defense ministry.
Despite the magnitude of the disaster, no foreign governments have yet offered support for rescue or relief efforts, according to a foreign office spokesperson.
Afghanistan is situated in a seismic hotspot, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates intersect. Last year, a series of earthquakes in the western part of the country resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people, underscoring the vulnerability of one of the world’s poorest nations to natural disasters.