A 6.0-magnitude Afghanistan earthquake struck just before midnight on Sunday, shaking remote eastern provinces and killing at least 800 people, according to the UN. The worst damage is in Kunar and Nangarhar, with tremors felt as far as Kabul and Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. Survivors describe homes made of mud and stone collapsing in minutes, blocking narrow mountain roads and isolating entire communities
Villages Flattened, Survivors in The Open
In Andarlachak village, residents found toddlers bruised and wrapped in sheets as medics worked in the street. “I saw many dead bodies,” freelance journalist Matiullah Shahab told the BBC, adding he felt 17 aftershocks. Volunteers dug graves while others pulled the injured from rubble. With homes destroyed and aftershocks ongoing, many families now sleep outdoors and urgently need tents.
Blocked Roads Force Air Rescues
Landslides and rockfalls have severed access to high-altitude hamlets. Taliban authorities have relied on helicopter missions to reach those cut off, airlifting the injured to clinics along the Kunar highway. Local hospitals are overwhelmed; one doctor said hundreds of patients arrived within hours of the Afghanistan earthquake. Limited electricity and patchy mobile networks hinder coordination and make it harder to reach people still trapped.
Aid Pledges Amid Wider Humanitarian Crisis
Aid groups warn the disaster deepens Afghanistan’s hunger crisis after years of drought and aid cuts. Nations including China, India, the UK and Switzerland have pledged support, with UK funding channelled through the UN’s population fund and the Red Cross. The Afghanistan earthquake was shallow—about 8km deep—amplifying destruction across fragile, mountainous terrain. Officials fear the death toll will rise as rescuers reach more remote villages.
