rrki.news
KABUL, Sept. 1 – A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 812 people and injured nearly 3,000 in eastern Afghanistan, officials confirmed on Monday.
According to Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the interim government, the worst-hit areas include Nurgal, Suki, Watapur, and Chapa Dara districts in Kunar province, where more than 800 deaths and 2,500 injuries have been reported. In neighboring provinces, casualties include 12 dead and 255 injured in Nangarhar, 58 injured in Laghman, and four injured in Nuristan.
The earthquake struck at 11:47 p.m. local time on Sunday, with the epicenter located 27 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad, Nangarhar province’s capital, at a shallow depth of eight kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey.
Authorities cautioned that the figures are preliminary and likely to rise as assessments continue in remote mountain areas. Rescue operations have been severely hampered by rugged terrain, landslides, and damaged roads, which have delayed the delivery of emergency aid.
Relief teams and local residents are working around the clock to reach survivors, provide medical assistance, and distribute supplies. Mujahid emphasized that all available resources are being mobilized to save lives and assist affected families.
Afghanistan, located on several seismic fault lines, is highly prone to destructive earthquakes, and its limited infrastructure poses further challenges in responding to such disasters.