Kunar, Afghanistan, September 2 – A magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday night has killed at least 1,411 people, with over 3,124 injured, according to Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. The Chenab Times earlier reported a death toll of 825, but updated figures confirm the rising casualties, primarily in Kunar province.
The quake, centered in the Hindu Kush mountain range, flattened villages and destroyed more than 5,400 homes, most constructed of mud bricks and wooden roofs. Rescue operations are underway, but rough terrain and disrupted road and mobile networks are hindering efforts to reach remote areas. Taliban authorities have deployed dozens of commandos to evacuate the injured from inaccessible regions, as reported by The Chenab Times.
Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, warned that the disaster could affect “hundreds of thousands” due to the collapse of fragile mud and wood structures. “The casualty rate is likely to rise exponentially,” Ratwatte told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Kabul, as per AP. He urged global solidarity for Afghanistan, which faces multiple crises and a severely underfunded $2.8 billion aid appeal, currently only 28 percent funded.
In Ghaziabad, a village in Kunar province, survivors described dire conditions. Abdul Latif, 50, told Al Jazeera his son, wife, and mother perished when their home collapsed. “There is no help to recover the dead from the rubble. It’s cold, and there’s nothing to eat or find shelter,” he said. Another resident, Rabbani, 40, reported losing seven family members, including his parents, wife, and four children, with no means to clear debris and recover bodies.
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, posted on X that foreign donor funding for relief efforts is critically low. “The promises to stand by Afghan girls and boys given by every NATO country cannot continue to be broken,” he wrote, noting that nearly every home in the affected areas is damaged or destroyed.
The earthquake, the third major quake since the Taliban took power in 2021, struck near the tectonically active junction of the Eurasian and Indian plates in the Hindu Kush, a region prone to both shallow and deep earthquakes. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences and pledged solidarity, despite recent tensions with Afghanistan over border security issues, according to Al Jazeera.
Taliban authorities have appealed for international assistance, but global aid remains limited amid competing crises and reduced donor budgets.
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Global Affairs Desk at The Chenab Times covers international developments, global diplomacy, and foreign policy issues through fact-based reporting, explainers, and analytical pieces. The desk focuses on major geopolitical events, diplomatic engagements, and international trends, with an emphasis on verified information, multiple perspectives, and contextual understanding of global affairs.
