At Least 600 Feared Killed as Powerful Earthquake Rocks

At Least 600 Feared Killed as Powerful Earthquake Rocks

The officials warn that the numbers could rise

CNB World Times

Kabul, 1^st Sept, 2025:A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday night, leaving widespread devastation.

According to officials, at least 622 people have died and more than 1,500 have been injured. The quake hit at 11:47 pm local time in Kunar province, near the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province.

Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said 610 people were killed and 1,300 injured in Kunar, where three villages – Nurgal, Chawkay, and Watapur – were completely destroyed. In Nangarhar province, 12 people were killed and 255 injured.

Rescue operations are underway, but officials warn that the numbers could rise. Health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said teams are still searching through the rubble in difficult-to-reach areas. 

The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 6.0, with a depth of 10 km. A second tremor of magnitude 4.5 was recorded shortly after in Nangarhar.

Local reports say aftershocks were felt into Monday morning. Emergency teams from Kabul and nearby provinces have been sent to the affected areas.

The quake was also felt in large parts of Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, where people rushed out of their homes in fear.

Experts say the mountainous region of Kunar is highly vulnerable to quakes because many homes are built with mud and rocks. Landslides triggered by the tremors may block rescue efforts in remote villages.

Afghanistan lies in a tectonically active zone at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian plates. Large earthquakes are common in the region. In October 2023, a quake in western Afghanistan killed more than 2,400 people. The Taliban government estimated that at least 4,000 people died while the UN gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500.