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A powerful earthquake struck north-east Afghanistan on Sunday night, leaving hundreds dead and raising fears that the number of victims could climb, as the Taliban government rushed to launch rescue efforts.
The 6.0-magnitude quake hit shortly before midnight outside the city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, near the border with Pakistan, according to the US Geological Survey.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-run interior ministry told the Financial Times on Monday afternoon that at least 800 people had been killed and more than 1,500 injured in Nangarhar, Kunar and other nearby regions since the earthquake struck late on Sunday night.
The Taliban government has dispatched helicopters to the affected regions, which are located among the Hindu Kush mountains, but landslides have complicated rescue efforts, it added.
The initial quake was followed by a series of aftershocks, including two of magnitude 5.2.
“Sadly, tonight’s earthquake has caused loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces,” Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X on Monday. “Local officials and residents are currently engaged in rescue efforts for the affected people.”
The Afghan Red Crescent said the earthquake had caused “both human casualties and significant financial losses to local communities”.
The UN mission in Afghanistan said the disaster had “claimed hundreds of lives, injuring many more”, adding that its teams were focused on delivering emergency assistance and life-saving support.
UN secretary-general António Guterres extended his “deepest condolences to the families of the victims”, writing on X: “The UN team in Afghanistan is mobilized and will spare no effort to assist those in need in the affected areas.”
Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, said all relevant government agencies were instructed to “reach the affected areas and use all available facilities . . . for burying the martyrs, treating the wounded and helping the victims”.
“We also call on all Afghans to do their part in providing shelter, food and clothing to the families affected by the incident,” he added.
In October 2023, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan, killing more than 1,400 people, according to estimates by the World Health Organization. It was one of the worst natural disasters to hit the war-ravaged country.
The Taliban government, which has struggled with strained finances due to international sanctions and cuts to humanitarian aid, has put the death toll of the 2023 quake at more than 4,000.
Additional reporting by Andres Schipani in Dhaka
