Afghanistan’s Eastern Region Hit by Series of Late-Night Shallow Quakes, Strongest at Magnitude 6, Leaving Multiple Casualties | WPN World People News

A powerful magnitude-6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late at night on August 31 at 11:47 p.m., with the epicenter located about 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province. The quake had a shallow depth of only 8 kilometers. The disaster caused widespread building collapses, with the worst devastation reported in the remote Kunar Province. So far, more than 800 people have been confirmed dead and over 2,800 injured, making it Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake since 2022.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated at a press conference in Kabul that Kunar Province had suffered the heaviest losses, with around 800 deaths and 2,500 injuries reported. In Nangarhar Province, authorities confirmed 12 deaths and 255 injuries. Military rescue teams were dispatched to the disaster zone, completing 40 helicopter sorties to transport 420 injured victims. Rescue efforts, however, have been hampered by treacherous terrain, landslides, collapsed roads, and disrupted communications. Several villages were almost entirely destroyed, forcing survivors to sleep outdoors in freezing temperatures with limited supplies.

Afghanistan lies on the boundary between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, making it highly prone to earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush Mountains. In June 2022, a magnitude-6.1 earthquake killed at least 1,000 people, while a series of quakes in the country’s western region last year claimed more than 1,000 lives in total, highlighting Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters. The latest earthquake has deepened the ongoing humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations calling on the international community to provide urgent assistance, stressing the critical need for tents, food, and medical resources. Local markets have been completely shut down, and widespread power outages are further complicating rescue and recovery operations. Villagers continue searching through the rubble in hopes of finding survivors.