Afghanistan earthquake kills 622 with more than 1,500 injured

About 622 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured in an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, authorities said on Monday, as helicopters ferried the wounded to safety from rubble being combed in the hunt for survivors, Report informs via Reuters.   The disaster will further stretch the resources of the South Asian nation already grappling with humanitarian crises, from a sharp drop in aid to a huge pushback of its citizens from neighbouring countries.   The quake of magnitude 6 injured more than 1,500, the Taliban-run Afghan interior ministry said in a statement that put the death toll at 622. Earlier state-run broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) put the toll at about 500.   In Kabul, the capital, health authorities said rescuers were racing to reach remote hamlets dotting an area with a long history of earthquakes and floods.   "Figures from just a few clinics show over 400 injured and dozens of fatalities," ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said in a statement that warned of higher casualties.

10:14

At least 500 people have been killed and 1,000 more injured in an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, the country's state-run broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) noted, Report informs via TRT Global.

Taliban-led health authorities in Kabul, however, said they were still confirming the official toll figure as they worked to reach remote areas.

Earlier, the country"s Information Ministry had told Anadolu that more than 250 people were killed and 500 injured in the 6.0 magnitude earthquake.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at 1917 GMT, located 27 kilometres east-northeast of Jalalabad at a depth of 8 kilometres.

A ministry official told Anadolu that casualties have been reported in Nur Gal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi and Chapa Dara districts of Kunar province.

He said the figures for the number of dead and injured are not final because officials are still communicating with local residents in many remote areas, and aid teams are on their way.

Roads leading to Dewa Gul in Sawki district and Mazar Dara in Nur Gul district have been blocked due to landslides, causing difficulties for rescue teams to reach the affected areas, he added.

Locals described it as one of the most powerful earthquakes to have hit the country.

Afghanistan interim administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that the earthquake caused casualties.

"Sadly, tonight's earthquake has caused loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces," he wrote on X.

Mujahid said local officials and residents are engaged in rescue efforts, with support teams from central and nearby provinces heading to the area.

"All available resources will be utilised to save lives," he added.

At least two other earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 struck the same area following the major one, according to the USGS.

08:42

At least 250 people have been killed and over 500 have been injured in Afghanistan after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit the country, Taliban officials said Monday, Report informs via NBC News.

The earthquake struck 17 miles from the city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan around midnight local time (3:30 p.m. ET Sunday), according to the US Geological Survey.

Because the earthquake hit a remote mountainous area, "it will take time to get the exact information about human losses and damage to the infrastructure," said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Afghan Public Health Ministry.

"We have launched a massive rescue operation and mobilized hundreds of people to help people in the affected areas," Zaman said.

Since the initial quake, at least five aftershocks ranging from 4.5-magnitude to 5.2-magnitude have hit the area throughout Monday, according to the USGS.