6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan: at least 800 fatalities

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday at 23:47 local time (19:17 GMT), with its epicenter about 27 km from Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. The quake’s shallow depth of just 8 km made it especially destructive, with tremors felt as far away as Kabul and neighboring Pakistan. Authorities fear more than 800 deaths, though the exact toll remains uncertain as information emerges slowly.

Powerful aftershocks have since caused further damage and fatalities. The disaster comes just after flash floods and landslides over the weekend that killed at least five people and disrupted cross-border traffic with Pakistan. Rebuilding the devastated areas is expected to take years, given Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian and financial crisis.

The mountainous provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar—where many homes are built of mud brick or timber—were hardest hit, with entire villages partially or completely destroyed. Landslides blocked access roads to the epicenter, forcing rescuers to rely on helicopters while many victims remained trapped under debris for hours.

Relief efforts are severely hindered by Afghanistan’s rugged terrain, inadequate infrastructure, and international isolation. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, most foreign funding and aid programs have been suspended, plunging the nation deeper into economic crisis. Jalalabad’s main hospital is over capacity, and healthcare nationwide remains critically under-resourced. More than 23 million people already depend on humanitarian aid, while the country’s overseas financial assets remain frozen under sanctions.

Afghanistan is especially vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies on major fault lines between the Indian and Eurasian plates. Shallow quakes send stronger seismic waves to the surface, while weak construction materials and frequent landslides magnify destruction. Previous major earthquakes in Herat and Paktika provinces in 2022–2023 killed over 2,000 people, and rebuilding there is still unfinished.