A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, leaving more than 800 people dead and around 2,500 injured. The shallow quake hit Kunar province and was felt more than 100 miles away in Kabul.
Local hospitals report being overwhelmed with casualties, with medics at the provincial hospital in Asadabad describing an ongoing crisis. New patients arrive every few minutes, and hundreds of people remain unaccounted for, meaning the death toll is expected to rise significantly.
Rescue operations face severe challenges due to the steep, mountainous terrain that makes access difficult. Emergency teams struggle to reach remote villages where many victims remain trapped under collapsed buildings.
Humanitarian Response
The Taliban has requested international aid assistance for rescue operations, according to reports. The earthquake's shallow depth of between five and 10 kilometres contributed to the extensive damage across the affected region.
Afghanistan sits in a particularly earthquake-prone area where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet in the Hindu Kush mountain range. Poor building construction standards in the region have made structures especially vulnerable to seismic activity.
Previous Disasters
The country experienced devastating earthquakes in its western regions last year that killed over 1,000 people. The latest disaster highlights Afghanistan's ongoing vulnerability to natural catastrophes amid existing humanitarian challenges.
Sources used: "The Guardian", "GBNews", "The i", "Metro", "Herald Scotland", "Mirror"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
