Rescue operations were still underway Monday after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan ate Sunday night, destroying several villages and killing at least 812 people, with at least 2,500 more injured
According to Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, most of the victims were reported in Kunar province, though authorities also confirmed 12 deaths and 255 injuries in neighboring Nangarhar. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the magnitude 6.0 quake occurred at 11:47 p.m. local time (3:17 p.m. Eastern), with its epicenter located about 17 miles east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. The earthquake was shallow, just five miles below the surface—making the impact more destructive.
Taliban officials added that among the worst-hit areas are Nurgal and Siringal in Kunar Province, as well as several villages in Shaman District, which have been completely destroyed. Darr-e-Nur in Nangarhar Province has also sustained significant damage.
Throughout the night, the region was rocked by multiple aftershocks. One of the strongest, a shallow 5.2-magnitude tremor, struck shortly after 4 a.m., further shaking communities already reeling from the initial quake, according to USGS data. The initial tremor was powerful enough to make buildings sway for several seconds as far away as Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, about 230 miles from the epicenter.
Dr. Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Taliban government’s Health Ministry, said the toll was likely to rise as search and rescue work continued, noting that “several villages have been completely destroyed.” Medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Zaman.
The U.N. said on X that it had rescue teams on the ground “delivering emergency assistance & lifesaving support.” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on social media that the U.N. would “spare no effort to assist those in need in the affected areas. I stand in full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan after the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier today. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”
For Homa Nadir, the Deputy Head of the Red Crescent in Afghanistan, said that 200 Taliban soldiers were deployed to assist in retrieving survivors, with helicopters and 30 ambulances were also being used in the rescue operations.
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