At least 610 people were killed and 1,300 injured after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocked eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border overnight into Monday, the Taliban interior ministry said.
The quake struck at 11:47 pm local time on Sunday, around 27 kilometres northeast of the city of Jalalabad in the Nangarhar province, according to the US Geological Survey.
Another 4.5 magnitude quake hit the same area around 20 minutes later.
The Kunar Disaster Management Authority said the districts of Nur Gol, Soki, Watpur, Manogi and Chapadare were hard-hit by the disaster.
“Rescue operations are still underway there, and several villages have been completely destroyed,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the ministry of public health.
He added that the number of deaths and injuries were “expected to change” as rescuers combed the rubble of houses looking for survivors.
Jalalabad is a bustling trade city due to its proximity with neighbouring Pakistan and a key border crossing between the two countries.
Although it has a population of about 300,000 according to the municipality, its metropolitan area is thought to be far larger.
Most of its buildings are low-rise constructions, mostly built of concrete and brick, and its outlying areas include homes built of mud bricks and wood. Many are of poor construction and are vulnerable to collapse in the event of quakes.
Afghanistan is prone to deadly earthquakes: in 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan alongside intense aftershocks. The Taliban said at least 4,000 people died.
The UN gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
Source: MSN News
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