Rescue efforts slowed by landslides and damaged roads
A powerful magnitude-6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing over 800 people and injuring around 2,500, Taliban officials reported. Relief teams are struggling to reach remote mountain villages as landslides and collapsed roads block access.
The quake’s epicenter was near the Pakistan border, with Kunar province sustaining the worst damage. Its shallow depth increased the intensity of destruction, while aftershocks continued into Monday, shaking areas as far away as Kabul, more than 100 miles from the epicenter.
Hospitals overwhelmed by casualties
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the death toll is expected to rise, with many victims still trapped beneath rubble. Hospitals in Asadabad and surrounding districts are inundated with injured residents.
Rasheed Khan, a trader from Kabul whose family lived in Watpur village, reported losing his wife, three children, and two brothers. “I don’t know how many relatives are still buried under the debris,” he said.
Relief operations face significant challenges
Afghanistan’s defence ministry dispatched doctors and emergency supplies to Kunar, but many communities can only be reached by air due to blocked roads and landslides. Taliban officials have called for urgent support from humanitarian organizations, including medical teams, food, clean water, tents, and rescue equipment.
The healthcare system, already fragile since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, is struggling to cope. Jeremy Smith of the Red Cross said the combination of remote locations and ongoing aftershocks makes rescue operations extremely difficult.
Villages flattened, many still missing
Mud and stone homes were destroyed throughout Kunar. In Masood village, nearly every household suffered casualties, with rescuers estimating up to 250 deaths. Neighboring Laghman and Nuristan provinces have also reported casualties, though full assessments remain pending.
Muhammad Aziz, a laborer from Nur Gul, 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 mobilized
China has pledged disaster relief, and India has sent food and tents to affected areas. The United Nations is preparing emergency assistance, while Pope Leo expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones.
The earthquake compounds Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, with economic collapse, returning refugees from Pakistan and Iran, and widespread hunger leaving millions reliant on aid. The UN estimates over half of the country’s 42 million population require assistance.
Afghanistan lies along active fault lines in the Hindu Kush mountains, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Last year, tremors in western Afghanistan killed over 1,000 people, and an October 2023 magnitude-6.3 quake claimed thousands of lives, one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Afghan history.
