AFGHANISTAN, September 1 — A devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province late Sunday, August 31, killing at least 825 people and injuring 3,113, while reducing over 1,000 homes to rubble, according to the Afghan Red Crescent, as The Chenab Times learnt via Newsweek report. The temblor, centered 16 miles east of Jalalabad near the Pakistan border at a shallow 5-mile depth, unleashed powerful aftershocks that intensified the destruction across the region.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at 1917 GMT (12:47 a.m. IST Monday), with its epicenter triggering widespread damage in districts including Nur Gal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapa Dara. Entire villages were leveled, leaving survivors trapped under debris, as described by a Nurgal resident to The Associated Press: “Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble.” Landslides blocked key roads, such as those to Dewa Gul in Sawki district and Mazar Dara in Nur Gal district, severely hampering rescue operations by the Taliban, Afghan Red Crescent, and international aid groups.
Save The Children’s advocacy director, Samira Sayed Rahman, emphasized the dire situation, stating, “The earthquake came without warning in the middle of the night… homes that are not built to withstand tremors of this magnitude.” The organization called for immediate funding to provide food, clean water, shelter, and essential items, noting the heightened risk to children from ongoing aftershocks. A survivor, Sadiqullah from Maza Dara, recounted being half-buried for hours after his home collapsed, losing his wife and two sons, highlighting the human toll.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense shared video footage of military helicopters evacuating victims, including a Taliban-led effort in Nurgal district, where security personnel carried an injured woman to Jalalabad for treatment. Provincial updates from the Afghan government reported 800 deaths and 2,500 injuries in Kunar, 12 deaths and 355 injuries in Nangarhar’s Darah Noor district, 12 deaths and 58 injuries in Laghman’s Alingar district, minor damage in Nuristan and Panjsher, with casualty figures expected to rise as remote areas are assessed.
Globally, condolences and aid pledges poured in. India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar expressed solidarity on X, promising assistance, while Pakistan’s Sharif and Pope Leo XIV offered support. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and China’s foreign ministry also committed humanitarian aid. The UN’s Filippo Grandi and António Guterres mobilized teams, with Guterres vowing relentless assistance. The Afghanistan Cricket Board expressed grief and urged national support for affected families.
This disaster, less than a year after the 6.3 magnitude Herat earthquake that killed over 1,400 (per the World Health Organization) or 4,000 (per Taliban estimates), underscores Afghanistan’s vulnerability under Taliban rule. With limited resources, economic sanctions, and reduced aid, the quake exacerbates an ongoing humanitarian crisis, including famine in affected areas as noted by a U.N.-backed panel.
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