A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near Jalalabad, reportedly killing over 250 people and injuring 500+. Rescue teams face blocked roads and landslides as officials warn casualties may rise in remote mountainous areas.
At least 250 people have reportedly been killed and more than 500 are said to have been injured after a powerful earthquake shook eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, Taliban officials were quoted as saying in several reports. The tremor, measured at 6.0 magnitude, struck the city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan around midnight local time.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at 1917 GMT, locating the epicenter 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad at a shallow depth of just 8 kilometers. The timing and shallowness of the quake made it especially devastating, rattling homes as families slept.
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Locals described it as one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit Afghanistan in years. Roads were torn apart, houses flattened, and landslides cut off entire villages from rescue teams.
Rescue Efforts Underway
Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Afghan Public Health Ministry, acknowledged the scale of the disaster and the challenges ahead.
“Because the earthquake hit a remote mountainous area, it will take time to get the exact information about human losses and damage to the infrastructure,” he said. “We have launched a massive rescue operation and mobilized hundreds of people to help people in the affected areas.”
According to the Information Ministry, casualties have been reported in Nur Gal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapa Dara districts of Kunar province. Landslides have blocked roads to Dewa Gul in Sawki and Mazar Dara in Nur Gul, further delaying relief.
Taliban Leadership Responds
Afghanistan interim administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the tragic losses. “Sadly, tonight’s earthquake has caused loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces,” he wrote on X.
Mujahid added that local officials and residents were engaged in search and rescue, while “support teams from central and nearby provinces” were rushing to assist. “All available resources will be utilised to save lives,” he said.
The USGS reported that at least two aftershocks of 5.2 magnitude shook the same area following the main quake. Survivors, already shaken by the devastation, rushed outdoors in fear as the tremors continued through the night.
A Country on Fault Lines
Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to seismic activity. Sitting on the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian plates, the mountainous eastern provinces frequently suffer from earthquakes and landslides. In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan killed around 1,000 people and injured thousands more. That disaster, like the latest one, was also caused by a shallow quake.
(Above Image is for representation purpose only)