At Least 250 Dead, 500 Injured After Powerful Earthquake Strikes Eastern Afghanistan

Rescue efforts under way in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces as officials warn casualties will rise.

At least 250 people have been killed and more than 500 others injured after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday night, according to the Afghan government.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences confirmed the quake hit at 11.47pm local time (8.17pm UK time), with an epicentre near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, close to the Pakistan border, at a depth of 14km (8.7 miles).

Villages devastated

Rescue teams have been dispatched to remote districts in Kunar province, where the quake caused widespread devastation.

Early reports from Afghanistan’s health ministry said 30 people were killed in a single village, though figures have since been updated as more bodies and survivors are found in the rubble.

Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the ministry, said:

“The number of casualties and injuries is high, but since the area is difficult to access, our teams are still on site. Accurate figures will take time.”

Hospitals overwhelmed

Local officials confirmed that hundreds of injured survivors have already been taken to hospital, with medical facilities struggling to cope. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue in remote mountainous areas.

Aftershocks continue

Within 20 minutes of the initial tremor, a magnitude 4.5 aftershock struck the same region at a depth of 10km, followed by another 5.2 quake shortly afterwards.

Residents described scenes of panic as people fled their homes in fear of further collapses.

A history of deadly earthquakes

Afghanistan, which lies on a series of active fault lines, has suffered devastating earthquakes in recent years.

In October 2023, a 6.3-magnitude quake and strong aftershocks killed thousands in western Afghanistan. The Taliban government reported 4,000 deaths, though the United Nations estimated the toll at around 1,500.

Sunday night’s quake is already being described by local officials as one of the worst disasters to hit the east of the country in years.

Global response expected

International aid agencies are closely monitoring the situation, with concerns mounting about the capacity of Afghanistan’s health system—already under strain—to handle a large-scale disaster