A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Monday (01 September), killing around 500 people and injuring more than 1,000 others, according to state-run broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA). The disaster caused widespread devastation, particularly in Jalalabad and nearby areas where the quake was centered. Many homes and buildings were reduced to rubble, leaving survivors trapped and communities struggling to cope.
Taliban-led health authorities in Kabul stated that they were still working to confirm the official death toll. Reaching the affected regions has been a challenge due to the country’s mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure. Emergency responders have been racing against time to deliver aid, search for survivors, and provide medical care to the injured.
The earthquake struck around midnight local time at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) reported. Shallow quakes often cause more severe damage, which likely contributed to the high casualty numbers. The tremors left residents terrified, with many forced to spend the night outside for fear of aftershocks.
This disaster comes less than a year after Afghanistan’s western province of Herat was devastated by a massive quake in October 2023, which killed at least 2,400 people. The repeated earthquakes highlight Afghanistan’s vulnerability to seismic events and the urgent need for better preparedness and infrastructure. For a country already facing humanitarian and economic crises, the latest quake adds yet another layer of hardship for its people.
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Afghanistan earthquake kills hundreds and leaves thousands more injured
Around 500 killed in Afghanistan earthquake, state-run broadcaster says
