Afghanistan Earthquake Claims Over 800 Lives

A massive rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan on Monday, following a powerful earthquake and multiple aftershocks that flattened homes in a remote, mountainous region, leaving more than 800 people dead, according to Taliban authorities.

The earthquake struck just before midnight, shaking buildings from Kabul to neighbouring Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Impact and Casualties

• Over 1.2 million people are believed to have felt strong or very strong shaking, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
• Near the epicentre in eastern Afghanistan, around 800 people were killed and 2,500 injured in Kunar province alone, confirmed Zabihullah Mujahid, chief Taliban government spokesman.
• Nangarhar province reported 12 deaths and 255 injuries.
• Numerous houses were destroyed, particularly in low-rise, mud-brick homes, which are highly vulnerable to collapse.

Access and Rescue Challenges

• Many of the most severely affected villages in remote Kunar province remain inaccessible due to road blockages, warned the UN migration agency.
• The Taliban authorities, along with the United Nations, mobilised rescue efforts in hard-hit areas. The defence ministry reported 40 flight sorties had been carried out.
• Local residents in Kunar’s Nurgal district rushed to clear blocked roads to isolated villages, but the areas remain remote with limited telecom coverage.

Ijaz Ulhaq Yaad, a local resident, told AFP: “There is a lot of fear and tension… Children and women were screaming. We had never experienced anything like this in our lives.”

Many of those living in quake-hit villages are among the more than four million Afghans who have returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan in recent years.

“They wanted to build their homes here,” Yaad added.

Earthquake Details

• The quake struck at a shallow depth of 8 kilometres, located 27 kilometres from Jalalabad in Nangarhar province.
• Nangarhar and Kunar provinces border Pakistan, with the Torkham crossing being a key route for returning Afghan migrants.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his condolences: “I stand in full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan after the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier today.”

Aftershocks and Frequent Quakes

• Following the initial quake, at least five aftershocks occurred overnight, the strongest being magnitude 5.2 just after 4:00 am local time (2330 GMT Sunday).
• Afghanistan is prone to frequent earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

Recent Natural Disasters in Afghanistan

Humanitarian Context

• Afghanistan, ravaged by four decades of war, faces ongoing humanitarian crises.
• Since the Taliban’s return to power, foreign aid has been drastically reduced, severely limiting the country’s ability to respond to natural disasters.

The earthquake underscores Afghanistan’s vulnerability, particularly in remote regions with fragile infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated rescue and relief operations.