At least 830 people were killed and more than 2,500 injured in a devastating earthquake in Afghanistan last night. 800 people died in Kunar province alone and several villages were buried under the soil. There were also casualties in Nangarhar and Laghman provinces.
According to a report by the French news agency AFP, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at a press conference in Kabul that most of the casualties as a result of the powerful earthquake occurred in Kunar province, where more than 800 people were killed and more than 2,500 were injured, while 12 people were killed and 255 were injured in Nangarhar province.
The tremors of the earthquake were felt from Kabul to the Pakistani capital Islamabad, with the most destruction in Kunar province, where hundreds of houses were destroyed.
Taliban officials and the United Nations have launched relief operations in the affected areas. The United Nations said in a statement that “we express our deep sorrow over this devastating earthquake in Afghanistan. Our teams are providing emergency relief and life-saving facilities in the affected areas.”
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was 27 kilometers from the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province and its depth was only 8 kilometers. According to experts, shallow earthquakes are more damaging. At least 5 aftershocks also occurred overnight, including a powerful 5.2-magnitude tremor.
The earthquake destroyed villages made of mud and rocks, landslides blocked important roads, while communication systems were disrupted, making relief operations more difficult.
According to the Turkish broadcaster Anadolu, Afghan officials said that the number of dead and injured was not final as authorities were still in touch with local residents in many remote areas and relief teams were heading to the affected areas.
According to officials, roads leading to the Dewa Gul area of Sawakai district and the Mazar Dara area of Noor Gul district have been closed due to landslides, making it difficult for relief teams to reach the affected areas.
Local residents have described the earthquake as one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the country, and Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan interim government, has confirmed that the earthquake has caused casualties.
Zabihullah Mujahid said that local authorities and the public are busy with relief operations, while relief teams from the central and neighboring provinces are heading to the area.
He added that “all available resources will be used to save human lives.”
Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet. Heavy rains and floods in Nangarhar province on Saturday night also killed five people and damaged crops and property.
In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake in the eastern border province of Paktika killed more than 1,000 people and displaced thousands. Afghanistan, devastated by four decades of war, is already grappling with a humanitarian crisis. Foreign aid has fallen sharply since the Taliban’s return, further weakening the country’s ability to cope with disasters.
In 2015, a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan and Afghanistan, killing more than 380 people. In that accident, 12 Afghan schoolgirls were crushed to death in a stampede.
PM Shahbaz expresses condolences to earthquake victims in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of life and property due to the earthquake in Afghanistan and Pakistan and expressed his condolences to the victims.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed his condolences over the loss of life and property due to the powerful earthquake that struck the eastern provinces of Afghanistan and some parts of Pakistan on Monday.
The Prime Minister wrote on his X timeline that ‘The devastating earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan has caused great sorrow, which also shook Kabul and was felt in different parts of Pakistan including Islamabad.’
He expressed his condolences to the victims and their families and said that hundreds of people have been killed and many villages have been destroyed there.
The Prime Minister said that ‘On behalf of the people and government of Pakistan, I offer my heartfelt condolences and prayers and express solidarity with the Afghan people in this hour of grief, and assure them of providing all possible assistance.’
