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A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least 622 people and injuring more than 1,500 in one of the country’s deadliest tremors in recent years. Helicopters ferried the wounded from rubble-strewn villages as rescue teams scrambled to find survivors in remote mountain communities.
The magnitude 6.0 quake hit the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar just after midnight, toppling homes made of mud and stone and razing at least three villages in Kunar. Authorities said substantial damage was reported in many other areas.
“All our teams have been mobilized to accelerate assistance so that comprehensive support can be provided,” said Abdul Maten Qanee, spokesperson for the Taliban-run Afghan interior ministry. Rescue operations are focusing on everything from food and health to security, officials said.
Images from Jalalabad showed residents working alongside soldiers and medics to carry victims on stretchers to ambulances and helicopters. So far, the government reported no foreign aid has arrived to support rescue or relief efforts.
Over 250 dead after a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Kunar province, Afghanistan, last night. Hundreds injured, dozens missing, and several villages wiped out.#prayers for Afghanistan #kunur #earthquake #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/Ic11hB62pS
— Suhail Bashir (@SuhailBashirP) September 1, 2025
Afghanistan has long been vulnerable to earthquakes, especially along the Hindu Kush mountain range where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Last year, a series of quakes in the west of the country killed more than 1,000 people, highlighting the challenges of responding to disasters in one of the world’s poorest nations.
The midnight quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), affecting areas bordering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. Military rescue teams reported flying more than 420 wounded and deceased in 40 flights.
In Kabul, authorities said responders are racing to reach isolated hamlets where access is difficult, and the disaster is expected to further strain a nation already struggling with humanitarian crises, including declining international aid and the mass displacement of citizens.
Monday’s quake is the deadliest in Afghanistan since June 2022, when a 6.1-magnitude tremor killed more than 1,000 people.
*Source: Reuters
