A powerful earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 622 people and injuring more than 1,500, according to the country’s national broadcaster. Officials have warned that the death toll is expected to rise further as rescue workers struggle to reach remote mountain communities.
The 6.0-magnitude quake hit late on Sunday, with its epicentre near Jalalabad, a city of around 200,000 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Less than 100 miles away in Kabul, the Afghan capital, residents fled their homes as aftershocks shook the city throughout the night.
#AfghanistanEarthquake: Afghan official Bakhtar news agency has reported that Around 250 people have been killed and 500 others injured in the earthquake that struck the districts of Nurgal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapa Dara in #Kunar province last night. Officials say these… pic.twitter.com/KspP2lD2qG
— Tahir Khan (@taahir_khan) September 1, 2025
The tremor struck at a shallow depth of just five miles beneath the earth’s surface, amplifying its destructive impact. Entire villages were reported to have been flattened, with people working overnight to dig neighbours from beneath the rubble. Videos shared on social media showed residents pulling survivors from collapsed homes.
🔵 #Terremoto Forte scossa di magnitudo 6.0 nell'#Afghanistan orientale, vicino al confine con il Pakistan. Almeno 9 morti e 25 feriti a Nangarhar, ma l'alto numero di edifici fatiscenti nella zona fa temere che il numero delle vittime sia molto più alto pic.twitter.com/zolclIp9S2
— Rai Radio1 (@Radio1Rai) September 1, 2025
Access for rescue teams has been severely hampered by landslides and rugged terrain. The United Nations confirmed that at least four provinces- Nangahar, Nuristan, Laghman and Kunar- were affected. Kate Carey, deputy head of the UN’s humanitarian office in Afghanistan, said the situation remained critical.
Earthquakes are a frequent hazard in Afghanistan, which sits along major fault lines. In 2022, a 5.9-magnitude quake killed at least 1,300 people in the southeast. The Taliban, in power since 2021, reported at that time that more than 4,000 people had died.
On Monday, Sharafat Amar, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Health, said on X that “several villages had been completely destroyed.”
The tremors were also felt across the border in Pakistan, including in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Kashmir and Islamabad. No major damage or casualties have been reported there so far.
#افغانستان میں حکام کا کہنا ہے کہ #کونڑ سمیت ملک کے مشرقی صوبوں میں زلزلے سے جانی اور مالی نقصان ہوا ہے۔ رات 12 بجے انے والے زلزلے سے کئی عمارتیں گرگئی ہیں۔ افغان حکومت کے ترجمان ذبیح اللہ #مجاہد @Zabehulah_M33 کے مطابق امدادی ٹیمیں علاقے میں لوگوں کو نکالنے میں مصروف ہیں۔ مرکز… pic.twitter.com/DPKcmpUZW3
— Tahir Khan (@taahir_khan) August 31, 2025
The disaster comes amid overlapping crises for Afghanistan. Hundreds of hospitals and clinics have shut down following the suspension of U.S. aid. More than two million Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran, many expelled under political pressure. The earthquake struck as many of these returnees were travelling home, ahead of a Pakistani deadline ordering undocumented Afghans to leave by Monday or face deportation.
Rescue efforts are continuing, but officials say the number of dead and injured could rise significantly in the coming days.
Also read: At least 337 feared dead as Pakistan floods devastate northwest
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