An earthquake destroys villages in eastern Afghanistan and kills 800 people, with 2,500 injured
In this photo released by the Ministry of Public Health, Afghans donate blood for victims of an earthquake that killed hundreds and destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan, at Nangarhar Regional Hospital in Nangarhar, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health via AP)2025-09-01T05:03:09Z KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) The death toll from a strong earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has jumped to over 800, with at least 2,500 injured, a Taliban government spokesman said Monday. Most of the casualties were in Kunar province, according to figures provided by Zabihullah Mujahid at a press conference. A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of the country late Sunday, causing extensive damage and destroying entire villages.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in the dead of the night in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed at least 620 people and injured more than 1,300 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided Monday by the Taliban government. The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangahar province, causing extensive damage. The quake at 11:47 p.m. was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was just 8 kilometers (5 miles) deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed. Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands. Stay up to date with similar stories by signing up to our WhatsApp channel. Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Qani told The Associated Press that 610 people had been killed and 1,300 injured in Kunar and a dozen people died and hundreds were injured in Nangarhar. Many houses were destroyed. Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are of poor construction. In this photo released by the Ministry of Public Health, Afghans donate blood for victims of an earthquake that killed hundreds and destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan, at Nangarhar Regional Hospital in Nangarhar, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health via AP) In this photo released by the Ministry of Public Health, Afghans donate blood for victims of an earthquake that killed hundreds and destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan, at Nangarhar Regional Hospital in Nangarhar, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More One resident in Nurgal district, one of the worst-affected areas in Kunar, said nearly the entire village was destroyed.Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble, said the villager, who did not give his name. We need help here, he pleaded. We need people to come here and join us. Let us pull out the people who are buried. There is no one who can come and remove dead bodies from under the rubble.Homes collapsed and people screamed for helpEastern Afghanistan is mountainous, with remote areas. The quake has worsened communications.One survivor described seeing homes collapse before his eyes and people screaming for help. Sadiqullah, who lives in the Maza Dara area of Nurgal, said he was woken by a deep boom that sounded like a big storm approaching. Like many Afghans, he uses only one name.He ran to where his children were sleeping and rescued three of them. He was about to return to grab the rest of his family when the room fell on top of him.I was half-buried and unable to get out, he told The AP by phone from Nangarhar Hospital. My wife and two sons are dead and my father is injured and in hospital with me. We were trapped for three to four hours until people from other areas arrived and pulled me out. It felt like the whole mountain was shaking, he said.Rescue operations are underway and medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Sharafat Zaman, a health ministry spokesman. In this photo released by the Nangarhar Media Center, ambulances are prepared to receive victims of an earthquake that killed hundreds and destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan, at Nangarhar Airport in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Nangarhar Media Center via AP) In this photo released by the Nangarhar Media Center, ambulances are prepared to receive victims of an earthquake that killed hundreds and destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan, at Nangarhar Airport in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Nangarhar Media Center via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Zaman said many areas had not been able to report casualty figures and that the numbers were expected to change as deaths and injuries are reported. The Taliban governments chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said all available resources will be utilized to save lives.Nearby Jalalabad is a bustling trade city due to its proximity with neighboring Pakistan and a key border crossing between the countries. Although it has a population of about 300,000 according to the municipality, its metropolitan area is thought to be far larger. Jalalabad also has considerable agriculture and farming, including citrus fruit and rice, with the Kabul River flowing through the city.A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2023, followed by strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated at least 4,000 people perished in that quake. The U.N. gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
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