At least 622 people have died and nearly 1,500 were injured from a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, according to state broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA).
The powerful tremor primarily affected Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, where entire villages were flattened. Rescue teams have been working since early Monday morning to locate survivors beneath the rubble of collapsed houses.
Magnitude 6.0 tremor devastates Kunar and Nangarhar provinces
Afghanistan’s Health Ministry clarified that data collection continues as many communities are remote and difficult to access. “The number of dead and injured is high and our teams remain on site,” ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said.
The earthquake struck at 23:47 local time (22:17 Cyprus time) at a shallow depth of 8 kilometres, with its epicentre located 42 kilometres from Jalalabad, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) also calculated the earthquake’s magnitude at 6.0, estimating the focal depth at slightly greater, 10 kilometres.
Rescue teams search for survivors beneath collapsed buildings
Afghanistan is frequently hit by powerful earthquakes, mainly in the Hindu Kush mountain range area where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates intersect. In 2024, earthquakes in the western part of the country claimed approximately 1,000 lives.
Hundreds of casualties transferred to hospitals as toll expected to rise
Hundreds of injured people have been transferred to hospitals, whilst authorities warn the death toll may increase as rescue operations continue in the affected areas.
The remote and mountainous terrain of the affected provinces complicates rescue efforts and casualty assessment, with many communities remaining difficult to reach for emergency response teams.
(information from protothema.gr)
