The death toll from one of Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquakes has risen to 800, with more than 2,500 people injured, government officials said on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, spokesman Mawlawi Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the updated figures, warning that numbers could climb further as rescue operations expand into remote areas.
The 6.0-magnitude quake struck overnight in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. Officials said 610 of the initial fatalities and the majority of injuries were in Kunar, while Nangarhar reported at least 12 deaths and more than 250 injured. Entire villages were destroyed, with Noor Gul, Chawkay, Watapur, Mano Gai and Chapa Dara among the worst-hit districts.
Three villages in Kunar were razed completely, authorities added, with thousands of homes collapsing under the force of the quake.
Rescue teams, military units and local residents have been working to dig survivors out of rubble. Helicopters have carried hundreds of wounded to hospitals, with the defence ministry confirming dozens of flights since Sunday.
Images from the affected areas show people searching through debris, while others carry the injured on makeshift stretchers. Officials said water, food and medical supplies are being rushed to the disaster zone, but difficult terrain and poor weather have hampered relief work.
“This is one of the most severe natural disasters Afghanistan has faced in recent years,” Mujahid said. “Our teams are mobilised to provide full support to the victims, but international assistance will also be vital.”
So far, no foreign governments have formally provided rescue support. The quake comes as Afghanistan continues to grapple with widespread poverty, food insecurity and reduced aid following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
The country is prone to earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. Last year, a series of quakes in western Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people, underscoring its vulnerability to natural disasters.
One of Afghanistan’s deadliest recent earthquakes has killed at least 622 people and left 1,555 others injured, the Taliban-run Ministry of Interior has confirmed.
The 6.0-magnitude quake struck just after midnight in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, destroying homes and villages across the mountainous region. The ministry said 610 deaths and 1,300 injuries were recorded in Kunar alone, while Nangarhar reported 12 fatalities and 255 wounded.
Officials described widespread devastation, with three villages in Kunar razed and heavy damage reported across districts including Noor Gul, Chawkay, Watapur, Mano Gai and Chapa Dara. Many of the homes, made from mud and stone, collapsed under the force of the shallow quake, which struck at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Helicopters were deployed to ferry survivors to hospitals, with Afghanistan’s defence ministry confirming 40 flights had already carried hundreds of dead and wounded. Rescuers, soldiers and residents worked together to pull survivors from the rubble and transport them to medical centres.
Interior ministry spokesperson Abdul Matin Qani said all government agencies had been mobilised: “Our teams are accelerating assistance so that comprehensive and full support can be provided.”
Despite the scale of the disaster, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said no foreign governments had yet reached out with offers of emergency assistance.
The disaster adds to the strain on one of the world’s poorest countries, already facing humanitarian crises, economic isolation and mass deportations of Afghan refugees from neighbouring states.
Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters was highlighted last year, when a series of quakes in the west killed more than 1,000 people. The Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, remains one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world.
Images from Reuters showed helicopters evacuating the wounded while residents carried casualties through debris-strewn streets. Survivors spoke of panic as police announced evacuations while local housing societies insisted residents remain calm.
Authorities said immediate compensation would be provided to affected families. Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani has directed provincial authorities to ensure urgent relief.