Rescue Efforts Enter 3rd Day as Death Toll Nears 1,500 in Quake-Hit Eastern Afghanistan
Rescue and relief operations continued on the third consecutive day on Wednesday, as the death toll from a devastating earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan earlier this week rose to 1,469. The disaster has left thousands homeless and entire villages in ruins.
According to interim government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, 1,457 people have been confirmed dead in Kunar province, the hardest-hit region, with more bodies recovered from the rubble on Wednesday. He also reported 3,994 injured and 6,782 houses destroyed by the 6.0 magnitude tremor. Authorities fear the death toll could rise further as data from Nangarhar, Laghman, and Panjshir provinces is still being collected.
At least 12 deaths have already been reported in Nangarhar. A Taliban official in Kunar said relief supplies began reaching remote areas only last night, but many residents refused to leave until they had recovered the bodies of their loved ones. Despite difficult terrain and damaged roads, rescue teams have reached all affected areas, using helicopters where necessary.
Acting Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi has instructed Afghan diplomatic missions abroad to mobilize aid and support, while humanitarian agencies warn that the scale of devastation requires urgent international assistance. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Indrika Ratwatte, cautioned that the number of affected individuals could reach into the hundreds of thousands, given the remoteness and difficult terrain.
Several countries—including Pakistan, Iran, China, India, and Western nations—have pledged support. Meanwhile, Afghanistan Cricket Board Chairman Mirwais Ashraf urged international aid organizations to act swiftly, noting that banking restrictions complicate relief efforts. The quake, recorded at 11:47 pm Sunday night by the US Geological Survey, struck 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad at a depth of 8 kilometers. It is the third major earthquake to hit Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
