A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, killing at least 800 people and injuring more than 2,500, officials confirmed. The worst-hit area is Kunar province, where entire communities have been devastated.
Government spokesperson Mawlawi Zabihullah Mujahid said at a press conference on Monday that the death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue. Eyewitnesses reported that hundreds remain trapped under collapsed buildings, with children, women, and the elderly among those buried beneath the rubble.
Footage released by local broadcaster TOLOnews showed widespread destruction in Kunar’s Mazar Valley. Survivors appealed for urgent international assistance, warning that many lives could be lost without outside help.
The United Nations expressed condolences and pledged emergency aid to the affected areas. “The devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has claimed hundreds of lives and injured many more. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy,” the UN office in Kabul said in a statement.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also expressed solidarity, offering condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a swift recovery for the injured.
