More than 600 killed in 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan
The earthquake struck 17 miles from the eastern city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan around midnight local time according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
At least 622 people have been killed and more than 1,300 others injured in Afghanistan after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit the country, Taliban officials said Monday.
The earthquake struck 17 miles from the eastern city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan around midnight local time (3:30 p.m. ET Sunday), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Because the earthquake hit a remote mountainous area, “it will take time to get the exact information about human losses and damage to the infrastructure,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Afghan Public Health Ministry.
“We have launched a massive rescue operation and mobilized hundreds of people to help people in the affected areas,” Zaman said.
Afghan interior ministry spokesperson Mufti Abdul Matin Qani said 622 people had been confirmed dead and more than 1,300 injured in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, which includes Jalalabad, and Kunar.
The ministry said that 1,000 injured people had been evacuated and admitted to hospitals.
Since the initial quake, at least five aftershocks ranging from 4.5 magnitude to 5.2 magnitude have hit the area throughout Monday, according to the USGS.
Aftershocks can last for days and can sometimes be worse than the first quake.
UN chief Antonio Guterres has shared a post saying he stands in “full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan after the deadly earthquake.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” Guterres wrote on X. He added that the UN team in Afghanistan “is mobilized and will spare no effort to assist those in need in the affected areas.”
The United Nations said earlier that its relief teams have already reached quake-hit districts in Kunar province, providing emergency supplies and life-saving support.
