More than 800 dead as powerful earthquake devastates eastern Afghanistan

More than 800 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 3,000 injured after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, according to the United Nations.

The 6.0-magnitude quake hit at 23:47 local time (19:47 GMT), with its epicentre located 27km (17 miles) east of Jalalabad, in Nangarhar province.

The tremor, felt across the rugged eastern region, has left entire villages in ruins, particularly in neighbouring Kunar province, where most of the casualties have been reported.

“The scale of devastation is unimaginable,” a Taliban official said, warning that the death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations struggle to reach remote mountainous communities.

Roads have been blocked by landslides, and limited communication has hampered emergency coordination.

Hospitals across the region, already stretched by shortages of medicine and staff, are overwhelmed with the influx of the injured.

Images from local facilities show patients crammed into crowded wards, many with head injuries and broken limbs, as families wait anxiously outside.

Survivors described being jolted awake in the middle of the night.

“I was fast asleep when everything started shaking violently,” said Faridullah Fazli, a resident of Asadabad, on the banks of the Kunar river.

“Our house cracked, and people ran into the streets screaming.”

The disaster strikes Afghanistan at a time of deep crisis. The country is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies, with a severe drought, aid cuts, and food insecurity leaving millions on the brink of famine.

The World Food Programme has warned of an “unprecedented hunger crisis.”

International organisations are assessing the scale of damage and mobilising aid, though access remains difficult. Local authorities have appealed for urgent support, particularly shelter, medical supplies, and rescue equipment.

As night falls again on the quake-stricken region, rescuers continue to dig through rubble with bare hands in the hope of finding survivors.