Earthquake In Afghanistan Kills At Least 610, Deadliest Since 2023

A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday night killing hundreds of people, making it the deadliest such disaster in more than two years.

The death toll had climbed to 610 by noon, with more than 1300 left wounded, government spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani said on Monday. The tremor affected the Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, and adjoining areas. Strong jolts were also felt across cities in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, according to Pakistan’s broadcaster Geo TV.

The US Geological Survey recorded the event at 11:47 pm local time, with a magnitude of 6.0 and the epicenter about 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-north-east of Jalalabad, the provincial capital of Nangarhar. It struck at a depth of about 8 kilometers. 

Afghanistan sits on a seismic fault line where the Indian and Eurasian plates collide, making it one of Asia’s most earthquake-prone countries. Quakes frequently devastate the east and northeast, where fragile mud-brick homes collapse easily and rescue efforts are slowed by rugged terrain and poor infrastructure.

The earthquake leveled several villages in Kunar, built with fragile mud-and-stone structures, according to state-run Radio and Television of Afghanistan. Landslides cut off vital roads, and damaged communication networks made rescue and relief operations even more difficult. 

In October 2023, a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan, killing about 1,500 people and injuring 2,000, according to the UN.

A spokesman of Taliban government in Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahed, said on X that the quake caused loss of life and property damage in the eastern provinces and rescue efforts are underway.