Catastrophic Quake Strikes Eastern Afghanistan
A devastating earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday night, leaving a trail of destruction in the mountainous province of Kunar near Jalalabad. The disaster has claimed at least 1,423 lives, with over 3,500 injured and thousands more feared trapped under collapsed buildings. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), nearly 890,000 people were exposed to very strong to violent shaking, amplifying the scale of the tragedy in a region already grappling with challenging terrain and limited infrastructure.
The majority of homes in the affected areas, built from mud and stone on steep valleys, stood little chance against the shallow quake. Doshisha University Professor Tsutsumi Hiroyuki noted that the high death toll was due to the earthquake's shallow depth, poor building materials, and the soft sediment ground that intensified the shaking. As rescue teams struggle to navigate destroyed roads and rock falls, the Taliban has appealed for international aid to support the overwhelmed local efforts.
Villagers Face Unimaginable Loss and Isolation
In the hardest-hit remote villages, survivors are reeling from the scale of loss, with entire households wiped out in moments. 'There is death in every home,' families in Kunar province have reported, as shared by the Ministry for Public Health. Cut off by landslides and mountainous terrain, locals have been forced to dig through rubble with bare hands to search for loved ones, a heartbreaking scene captured in accounts from the area.
Rescue operations are underway, with helicopters deployed to reach isolated regions, but many remain trapped under debris. The United Nations agency OCHA estimates that as many as 12,000 people have been impacted, with over 8,000 homes collapsed. The despair is palpable as villagers, covered in dust and too shocked to speak, confront the reality of losing family members and entire communities to this catastrophe.
Challenges Ahead for Recovery and Aid
As aftershocks continue to rattle the region, including three significant ones measuring 5.2 on the magnitude scale, hope for finding more survivors is fading. Emergency services face immense difficulties accessing remote villages, compounding the humanitarian crisis in a country already strained by years of conflict and economic hardship. The Taliban's chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed at least 812 fatalities and over 2,500 injuries in initial reports, though numbers have since risen dramatically.
International aid is critical now more than ever, as Afghanistan struggles to provide immediate relief and long-term rebuilding efforts. The destruction of entire villages highlights the urgent need for resources to support shelter, medical care, and food for thousands displaced by the quake. The global community watches as this disaster unfolds, with calls for swift action to assist those who have lost everything in a matter of seconds.