At least 800 people have died and more than 2,500 have been injured after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the city of Jalalabad, close to the border with Pakistan, late on Sunday night. The shallow quake, just five miles deep, caused widespread destruction in the mountainous region, where poorly constructed homes of mud bricks and wood collapsed under the tremors.
The Afghan Public Health Ministry confirmed that around 1,000 injured people have been admitted to hospitals, while rescue teams—including civil defence workers, local volunteers, and military personnel—continue to search for survivors in the rubble. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said authorities had launched “a massive rescue operation” to reach remote areas, which have been particularly hard-hit due to difficult terrain and damaged infrastructure.
The earthquake was followed by at least five aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.5 to 5.2, raising fears of further casualties. Seismologists note that Afghanistan sits atop one of the world’s most active seismic zones, where the Indian and Eurasian plates collide, producing frequent and sometimes deadly earthquakes.
The disaster comes amid Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. Years of conflict, severe drought, and the return of over 2.3 million Afghans from neighbouring countries have left millions vulnerable. Aid organisations report that nearly half the population—approximately 23 million people—require assistance, with food shortages and limited healthcare complicating emergency relief efforts.
The United Nations and several humanitarian agencies have mobilised emergency support, but officials warn that the scale of the disaster, combined with the region’s rugged geography, will make relief operations slow and challenging.
This is a developing story.