Devastating Afghanistan Earthquake Kills Over 600: Live Updates

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocked eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, August 31, killing hundreds of people and injuring many more.

The temblor struck in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, 16 miles east of Jalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, near the border with Pakistan.

It had a depth of 5 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which has recorded at least five aftershocks registering 5.0 or more in magnitude.

• Interior ministry: At least 622 dead, 1,500 wounded
• Whole villages destroyed
• Rescue operations underway

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Earthquake is catastrophe for resource-poor Afghanistan under Taliban rule

The disaster underscores Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural catastrophes, compounding existing humanitarian challenges.

The Afghan Red Crescent confirmed that the quake caused “both human casualties and significant financial losses to local communities.”

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan added that “hundreds of lives” had been lost, with teams mobilized to deliver emergency assistance and life-saving support.

The country under Taliban Islamic rule continues to grapple with limited resources, economic sanctions, and reduced international aid.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in Afghanistan, but the scale of destruction makes each event catastrophic for local communities already facing hardship.

The quake comes less than a year after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan’s Herat province in October 2023.

That disaster killed more than 1,400 people, according to the World Health Organization, though Taliban officials placed the death toll at more than 4,000.

Map shows where earthquake struck in eastern Afghanistan

Map via Newsweek‘s John Feng.