Afghanistan earthquake kills 622, more than 1,500 injured in eastern provinces
KABUL: A devastating earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least 622 people and leaving more than 1,500 injured, according to the Taliban-run interior ministry.
The magnitude-6 quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, flattening villages across Kunar province and surrounding areas near the Pakistan border. Rescuers, soldiers, and medics rushed to remote mountain hamlets, where homes built of mud and stone crumbled under the midnight tremors.
Health officials in Kabul confirmed that three villages in Kunar were completely razed, with widespread destruction reported in many others. “Figures from just a few clinics show over 400 injured and dozens of fatalities,” ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said, warning that the toll could rise further as more bodies are recovered.
Images from Reuters Television showed helicopters ferrying the wounded, while residents carried victims to ambulances alongside Afghan security forces. Najibullah Hanif, Kunar’s provincial information head, reported 250 dead and 500 injured in his province alone, adding that figures were still being updated. Early reports suggested at least 30 deaths in a single village.
The quake, which was also felt across Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, struck at a depth of just 10 km, magnifying its destructive power. Survivors described chaotic scenes as people ran into the streets while buildings collapsed behind them.
“So far, no foreign governments have reached out to provide support for rescue or relief work,” a foreign office spokesperson said, highlighting the humanitarian strain on a country already battling economic collapse and a reduction in international aid.
Afghanistan sits on a seismically active fault line where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making it prone to devastating earthquakes. Last year, a series of tremors in the west killed more than 1,000 people, underscoring the fragility of the nation’s infrastructure.
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