A deadly earthquake in Afghanistan’s Kunar province has killed over 1,400 people and injured more than 3,124. Villages were flattened near the Pakistan border, with survivors facing severe shortages of food, water, and shelter.
The devastating 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night has killed more than 1,400 people and injured over 3,000, AFP quoted a Taliban government official. Officials warn the toll may rise further as survivors remain trapped beneath collapsed homes. Chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said 1,411 deaths and 3,124 injuries were reported in Kunar province, with at least a dozen more killed and hundreds injured in neighbouring Nangarhar.
Rescue efforts in remote villages
Rescuers, aided by villagers, worked through the night to search for survivors. “There are still injured people left in the distant villages,” said Ehsanullah Ehsan, head of the Kunar Provincial Disaster Management Authority, stressing the need for urgent evacuations.
Many victims were buried beneath mud and stone homes, which crumbled instantly. Residents used their bare hands to clear rubble. Obaidullah Stoman, 26, searching for a missing friend, described the scene: “There is only rubble left.”
In Nurgal district’s Wadir village, helicopters ferried the wounded to Jalalabad hospitals. Survivors told harrowing stories. Akhlaq, 14, said, “Our whole house collapsed… my brothers and father were buried. Only I survived and rescued him.”
The dead, including many children, were wrapped in white shrouds as villagers prayed before burial. Some areas remain inaccessible due to blocked mountain roads, according to the UN migration agency, delaying aid delivery.
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The UN humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, Indrika Ratwatte, cautioned the disaster could impact hundreds of thousands.
Why the quake was so deadly
The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was just 27 km from Jalalabad, at a shallow depth of 8 km. Shallow quakes typically cause greater surface damage, particularly in regions where homes are poorly built.
Most Afghans live in low-rise, mud-brick houses, highly vulnerable to collapse. This fragility explains the high death toll, despite the quake being moderate in magnitude.
India sends emergency relief
India on Monday rushed emergency aid to Afghanistan after the devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Kunar province. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar saidthat he had spoken with Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi to convey condolences and assure support. He confirmed that 1,000 family tents had already been delivered to Kabul on Sunday to provide shelter to displaced families. In addition, 15 tonnes of food supplies are being moved from India’s mission in Kabul to the quake-hit Kunar province.
Jaishankar added that more consignments of relief material will be dispatched starting Tuesday as part of India’s ongoing humanitarian assistance. He also wished a quick recovery to those injured in the disaster and stressed that “India stands by Afghanistan at this difficult time.” The aid comes as Afghan officials continue to appeal for urgent international help amid rising casualties and large-scale destruction in remote areas.
Humanitarian crisis deepens
The earthquake has struck a nation already reeling from conflict, poverty, and shrinking international aid. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, most Western funding has been slashed.
Earlier this year, US aid was cut almost entirely after President Donald Trump took office, leaving Afghanistan’s disaster-response capacity critically weakened. The UN has also scaled back humanitarian programs due to what it called the “deepest funding cuts ever.”
On Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced an initial $5 million in aid, pledging to help assess needs and mobilise further support.
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International observers warn that with millions of Afghan returnees from Iran and Pakistan, overcrowded villages and fragile housing are especially vulnerable to future disasters.
History of earthquakes in Afghanistan
Afghanistan sits on the collision zone of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, making it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone regions.
- October 2023: A 6.3-magnitude quake killed more than 1,500 in Herat.
- June 2022: A 5.9-magnitude quake killed over 1,000 in Paktika.
Past quakes in the Hindu Kush and neighbouring countries, including the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, have killed tens of thousands.
For Afghanistan, Sunday’s quake is another painful reminder of the region’s seismic risk compounded by poverty and weak infrastructure. With international aid drying up, experts warn that disasters of this scale may leave communities even more vulnerable in the years ahead.
(With inputs from AFP)