Over 800 dead as strong earthquake rocks eastern Afghanistan near Pak border
The country's Taliban government confirmed the death toll and said 2,800 people were injured
A strong earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border has killed over 800 people and injured 2,800, government officials have confirmed.
The 6.0-magnitude quake, which took place late on Sunday (August 31), hit a series of towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighbouring Nangahar province. The natural disaster, which occurred at 11.47 pm, was centred 27 kilometres east-northeast of the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Search and rescue teams were carrying out relief operations in the area.
Shallow quakes, more damage
The quake was just eight-kilometre deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
Over 1.2 million people likely felt strong or very strong tremors, according to the USGS. The initial quake was followed by a series of at least five aftershocks throughout the night, with the strongest being one of 5.2 magnitude just after 4:00 AM (23:30 GMT) on Sunday.
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Closer to the the epicentre in to the east of Afghanistan, around 800 people were killed and 2,800 injured in the remote Kunar province alone, said chief Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
He added that another 12 people were killed and 255 injured in the neighbouring Nangarhar province.
Jalalabad
The quake's epicenter was near Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, and it had a depth of 8 kilometers, the USGS said.
Jalalabad, which is near the quake centre, is a bustling trade city because it is close to neighbouring Pakistan. Most of its buildings are low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, and areas outside the city include homes built of mud bricks and wood.
2023 quake tragedy
In 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan on October 7, followed by strong aftershocks.
Also read: 90% of Afghanistan quake victims were women and kids: UN officials
The Taliban government estimated that at least 4,000 people perished in that disaster. The UN gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
(With agency inputs)