Islamabad: The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night has crossed 800, with more than 3,000 people reported injured as desperate rescue operations continue in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. Officials warned that the numbers are likely to rise sharply as many remain trapped under the rubble.
Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, the Acting Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, confirmed that “till now, more than 800 people have been martyred and more than 3,000 are injured in both Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.”
He added that the figures are not final and will be updated as fresh information becomes available from affected districts.
The powerful tremor, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, hit shortly after midnight with its epicenter in Kunar province, rattling adjoining provinces, including Nangarhar, Laghman, and Nuristan. The quake, also felt across Pakistan’s northern belt, reduced entire mud and stone villages to dust within seconds.
According to Afghanistan’s state-run Bakhtar News Agency, initial reports placed the death toll above 600, but subsequent assessments by local officials, rescue workers, and aid agencies confirmed hundreds more casualties, particularly in Kunar where the destruction is described as catastrophic.
In Nangarhar, nine deaths and at least 71 injuries have been confirmed, while in Laghman, 44 people were reported injured across Mehtarlam, Alishang, Qarghaye, and Alingar districts. Nuristan’s Nurgaram and Wama districts also reported casualties, with several families displaced.
Rescue efforts remain extremely challenging due to blocked mountain roads and poor infrastructure. “The situation is dire, and the number of casualties is expected to rise as we reach remote villages,” a senior official at Kunar’s Disaster Management Authority said.
The Taliban government swiftly mobilized emergency resources. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid expressed grief over the tragedy, saying, “The government is making all-out efforts to assist the victims.” Helicopters from the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior have been transporting the injured to hospitals in Kabul and Jalalabad, though doctors report severe shortages of medicines and emergency supplies.
Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, head of the Disaster Management Authority, personally arrived in Kunar with relief consignments, including tents, food, and medical kits. Aid operations are underway alongside rescue missions, but access to remote valleys remains restricted due to landslides and aftershocks.
The United Nations confirmed its humanitarian teams are already assisting Afghan authorities. “Our staff are on the ground, providing relief supplies and medical support,” a UN official said, adding that international agencies are preparing for an expanded response.
Hospitals in Kabul and Jalalabad remain overwhelmed. Medical teams say dozens of critically injured people are being airlifted, while local facilities struggle to cope. Doctors warned that the death toll could climb if urgent medical aid is not scaled up.
The tragedy has once again highlighted Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters, where fragile housing and inadequate infrastructure often turn tremors into mass-casualty events. Experts caution that, with widespread destruction and communication lines down in several districts, the full scale of the disaster may not be known for days.
For now, eastern Afghanistan mourns as families dig through debris with bare hands, hoping to pull survivors out alive.
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