Srinagar, September 1 — A devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing more than 250 people and injuring 500, according to the country’s Information Ministry as reported to Anadolu. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at 1917 GMT (12:47 a.m. IST Monday), with its epicenter 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad at a depth of 8 kilometers.
The Chenab Times learned that casualties were reported in Nur Gal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapa Dara districts of Kunar province, with figures likely to rise as officials continue to assess remote areas. A ministry official told Anadolu that aid teams are en route, though landslides have blocked roads to Dewa Gul in Sawki district and Mazar Dara in Nur Gal district, hampering rescue efforts. Locals described it as one of the most powerful quakes to hit the region.
Naqibullah Rahimi, a spokesman for the Nangarhar Public Health Department, noted that the injured were rushed to local hospitals, with a 4.5 magnitude aftershock striking 20 minutes later at a depth of 10 kilometers. Tremors were felt across northern Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir around 12:40 a.m. IST, with strong shaking reported in Delhi-NCR.
This disaster echoes the 6.3 magnitude earthquake on October 7, 2023, which the Taliban estimated killed 4,000, though the U.N. reported around 1,500 deaths, marking it as Afghanistan’s deadliest recent natural disaster.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
