Earthquake devastates Afghan villages, kills 622 with more than 1,500 injured

NN ONLINE:

A powerful earthquake near Afghanistan’s eastern border with Pakistan leveled villages and caused widespread destruction late Sunday, leaving at least 622 people dead and 1500 injured, officials said. Authorities warned the toll could climb as rescue teams reached affected areas.

The 6.0 magnitude quake struck at 11:47 p.m. in Kunar province, about 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar province, at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Shallow quakes typically cause greater damage.

The Kunar Disaster Management Authority reported that the worst-hit districts were Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi and Chapadare.

“Rescue operations are still underway there, and several villages have been completely destroyed. The figures for martyrs and injured are changing. Medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the ministry of public health.

He noted that many areas had yet to provide casualty figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” as reports came in.

Jalalabad, a major trading hub near the Pakistan border with around 300,000 residents, is surrounded by vulnerable rural communities where homes are often built of mud bricks and wood. The region is also known for agriculture, including citrus and rice farming, sustained by the Kabul River.

Afghanistan has a history of devastating quakes. On Oct. 7, 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake killed thousands. The Taliban government estimated about 4,000 deaths, while the U.N. put the figure closer to 1,500, making it one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters.