Hundreds of people were left dead after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck east Afghanistan late Sunday.
Approximately 800 individuals lost their lives, and more than 2,500 were injured, as per the latest update given on Monday by the Taliban government.
The initial earthquake struck at 11:47 p.m. local time, with its epicenter about 17 miles east-northeast of Jalalabad, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Several aftershocks were also reported.
The Taliban government’s chief spokesperson said at a press conference Monday that most deaths and injuries were in Kunar.
“All available resources will be utilized to save lives,” Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the health ministry, stated that rescue efforts were in progress, and medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar, and the capital city Kabul have reached the affected area.
Zaman mentioned that many regions hadn’t yet provided casualty numbers and that “the figures are expected to change” as more deaths and injuries are reported.
Many residents in nearby villages described to The Associated Press seeing houses collapse all around them.
Sadiqullah, residing in the Maza Dara area of Nurgal, shared with the AP over the phone from Nangarhar Hospital that he was awakened by a loud boom, which he described as resembling an approaching storm.
He ran to rescue three of his children and was about to go and grab the rest of his family when his room fell on top of him.
“I was partially buried and couldn’t escape,” he told the AP. “My wife and two sons are deceased, and my father is injured and hospitalized with me. We were trapped for three to four hours until people from neighboring areas came and rescued me.”
The deadliest natural disaster in Afghanistan in recent memory occurred in October 2023, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the country and several strong aftershocks followed.
The Taliban government said roughly 4,000 people died in that earthquake, but the United Nations estimated the death toll at approximately 1,500.
The Associated Press contributed.
