Midnight Quake Shatters Afghan Villages, Leaves Over 800 Dead

 

Civil defence workers, locals and army soldiers in Mazar Dara, Kunar province, prepare to evacuate injured people after an earthquake that killed hundreds and destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan on Monday.

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, killing more than 800 people and injuring over 2,800 others. The epicenter was located near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, close to the Pakistan border, and the tremor hit at approximately 11:47 p.m. local time.

The quake devastated villages across the mountainous Kunar province, where homes made of mud and wood collapsed instantly. Rescue operations are ongoing, with Taliban soldiers and civilians working side by side to pull survivors from the rubble. Medical teams from nearby provinces and Kabul have rushed to the scene, but access remains difficult due to damaged infrastructure and remote terrain.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and heartbreak. One resident from Nurgal district said, “Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. We need help here.” In some areas, entire villages were flattened, and many victims remain trapped beneath debris.

The disaster compounds Afghanistan’s existing humanitarian crisis, as the country grapples with reduced international aid and widespread displacement. Officials warn that the death toll may rise as rescue efforts continue and more remote areas are reached.