Rescue workers and families search through rubble after a deadly earthquake flattened homes in eastern Afghanistan, killing hundreds and injuring thousands.
A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing more than 600 people and injuring over 1,500, in one of the deadliest disasters to hit the impoverished nation in recent years.
Entire villages were flattened as the tremors ripped through Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, leaving families trapped under rubble and thousands homeless.
The quake, measured at a shallow depth of just eight kilometers near Jalalabad city, sent shockwaves across Kabul and into neighboring Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
Shallow quakes are often more destructive, and in this case, the impact was compounded by multiple aftershocks, including a 5.2-magnitude tremor in the early hours of Monday.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led authorities, alongside United Nations agencies, have launched emergency rescue and relief operations. “The UN in Afghanistan is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake… teams are delivering emergency assistance and lifesaving support,” the agency said.
But the tragedy highlights the country’s fragile disaster preparedness. Years of conflict, shrinking international aid, and weak infrastructure have left Afghanistan ill-equipped to respond to natural calamities. Humanitarian groups warn that the quake comes at a time when millions of Afghans are already grappling with food insecurity, poverty, and recent flooding.
This is not the first major quake to devastate the country. In June 2022, more than 1,000 people were killed in Paktika province during a similar disaster. With Afghanistan located near the seismically active Hindu Kush mountain range, experts warn that without stronger resilience measures, future quakes will continue to cause catastrophic loss of life.
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