Earthquake Devastates Eastern Afghanistan

Earthquake Devastates Eastern Afghanistan

Immediate Impact & Rescue Efforts

A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocked eastern Afghanistan around midnight, centered near Jalalabad and deeply affecting Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. The shallow quake (at just 8–10 km depth) caused catastrophic damage in remote, mountainous regions where homes are primarily constructed from vulnerable materials like mud and stone.
Casualty estimates range from 622 to over 800 fatalities, with injuries numbering between 1,500 and 2,800. Rescue teams deployed helicopters to airlift hundreds of victims—more than 40 flights have taken place amid massive rubble clearing operations.
Reuters+1AP NewsThe Washington Post

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Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies

Entire villages across districts like Nurgal, Chapa Dara, and Watapur were completely destroyed. Survivors spoke of parents, children, and elders trapped under the rubble, pleading for help amid hamstrung communications and impassable roads.
The NationalAl JazeeraThe Jakarta Post

Afghanistan's existing humanitarian vulnerabilities—exacerbated by sharply reduced aid under Taliban rule and mass deportations—are deepened by the quake. The UN and aid agencies warn of a “perfect storm” scenario, with response funding severely lagging.
ReutersThe Washington PostSky NewsThe Jakarta Post