Over 800 dead as 6.0-magnitude earthquake hits Afghanistan

President, PM  among many world leaders extend condolences

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: A massive rescue operation was under way in Afghanistan on Monday, after a strong earthquake and multiple aftershocks flattened homes in a remote, mountainous region, killing more than 800 people, the Taliban authorities said.

The quake, which struck at a relatively shallow depth of eight kilometres, was 27 kilometres from the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Nangarhar and Kunar provinces border Pakistan, with the Torkham crossing, the site of many waves of Afghan returnees deported or forced to leave, often with no work and nowhere to go.

The earthquake struck just before midnight, shaking buildings from capital Kabul to Islamabad in Pakistan. After the initial quake, a series of at least five aftershocks followed throughout the night, with the strongest being one of magnitude 5.2 just after 4am (2330 GMT on Sunday).

More than 1.2 million people likely felt strong or very strong shaking, according to the USGS.

Near the epicentre in the east of Afghanistan, around 800 people were killed and 2,500 injured in remote Kunar province alone, chief Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Another 12 people were killed and 255 injured in neighbouring Nangarhar province, he added.

“Numerous houses were destroyed,” interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said.

The majority of Afghans live in low-rise, mud-brick homes that are vulnerable to collapse.

Some of the most severely impacted villages in remote Kunar provinces “remain inaccessible due to road blockages”, the UN migration agency warned in a statement.

Afghanistan’s government-run Bakhtar News Agency reported citing officials from the Disaster Management Department in Kunar that “the most severely impacted districts include Noor Gul, Chawkay, Watapur, Mano Gai, and Chapa Dara”.

Three villages were razed in the province of Kunar, with substantial damage in many others, the health ministry earlier said.

The Taliban authorities and the United Nations mobilised rescue efforts to hard-hit areas. The defence ministry said 40 flight sorties had so far been carried out.

Rescuers were scrambling to find survivors in the area bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where homes of mud and stone were levelled by the midnight quake that hit at a depth of 10 kilometres.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed grief over the incident and extended his condolences.

“I stand in full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan after the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier today,” he said.

Delegation of the European Union to Afghanistan posted on X: “The EU extends its heartfelt condolences to all affected by the recent devastating earthquake in Afghanistan’s Kunar & Nangarhar provinces. Our humanitarian partners are actively on the ground, providing critical aid to the victims. We stand in full solidarity with Afghans.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also extended condolences over the loss of life.

“Deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, which shook Kabul & was also felt in various parts of Pakistan, including Islamabad. With reports confirming hundreds of precious human lives lost & villages destroyed, our hearts go out to the victims and their families. On behalf of the people and Government of Pakistan, I extend my heartfelt condolences & prayers to the bereaved families,” he said on X.

He added, “We stand in solidarity with our Afghan brothers & sisters in this hour of grief, and we are ready to extend all possible support in this regard.”

In his condolence message, President Asif Ali Zardari also said that “during this hour of grief and hardship, Pakistan stands firmly in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.”

The statement issued by the President’s Secretariat said, “He prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and for strength and resilience of the affected communities. He further prayed that the departed souls may rest in eternal peace and that the Almighty may grant courage to the bereaved families to bear this immense loss.”