Landslides and blocked roads hamper rescue efforts
A magnitude-6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing more than 800 people and injuring approximately 2,500, Taliban officials reported. Relief operations are being slowed by landslides and damaged roads, leaving many mountainous villages isolated.
The quake’s epicenter was near the Pakistan border, with Kunar province hardest hit. Its shallow depth worsened the destruction, and aftershocks continued into Monday, rattling communities as far away as Kabul, over 100 miles from the epicenter.
Hospitals overwhelmed by flood of casualties
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid warned that the death toll is likely to rise, as many residents remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Hospitals in Asadabad and surrounding districts are struggling to cope with the influx of injured patients.
Rasheed Khan, a trader from Kabul whose family lived in Watpur village, said he lost his wife, three children, and two brothers. “I don’t know how many of my relatives are still under the rubble,” he said.
Relief operations face major obstacles
Afghanistan’s defence ministry sent doctors and emergency supplies to Kunar, but many communities can only be accessed by air due to blocked roads and landslides. Taliban officials have called on humanitarian organizations for urgent assistance, including medical aid, clean water, food, tents, and rescue equipment.
The country’s healthcare system, already fragile since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, is struggling to respond. Jeremy Smith of the Red Cross said the region’s remoteness and ongoing aftershocks make rescue work particularly hazardous.
Villages flattened, many residents still missing
Homes made from mud and stone were destroyed across Kunar. In Masood village, nearly every household suffered casualties, with rescuers estimating up to 250 deaths. Neighboring provinces Laghman and Nuristan also reported casualties, although full assessments are still underway.
Muhammad Aziz, a laborer from Nur Gul district, said ten of his relatives, including five children, were killed. “Every home has collapsed, and people are digging with their hands to save those trapped,” he said.
International aid begins arriving
China has pledged disaster relief, while India has sent food and tents to affected areas. The United Nations is preparing emergency assistance, and Pope Leo expressed condolences for families who lost loved ones.
The earthquake adds to Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, with economic collapse, returning refugees from Pakistan and Iran, and widespread hunger leaving millions dependent on aid. The UN estimates that over half of the country’s 42 million population requires assistance.
Afghanistan lies along active fault lines in the Hindu Kush mountains, making it highly susceptible to earthquakes. Last year, tremors in western Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people, and a magnitude-6.3 quake in October 2023 claimed thousands of lives, one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent memory.
