Afghanistan earthquake 2025 struck late Sunday night, killing at least 800 people and injuring more than 2,500 across the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. The 6.0-magnitude quake hit at 11:47 p.m. local time, centered 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad at a shallow depth of just 8 kilometers. The tremors triggered widespread destruction, with aftershocks adding to the devastation.
Desperate survivors clawed through rubble in the dark, searching for missing relatives. Rescue footage showed people carrying the injured on stretchers while helicopters evacuated victims to hospitals. In Nurgal district, one of the hardest-hit areas, a villager described how nearly every home collapsed. “Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble,” he pleaded.
The Taliban’s chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed the casualty figures and said most deaths occurred in Kunar. Rescue teams face immense challenges, as blocked roads force aid workers to walk for hours to reach remote villages. Dozens of flights from Nangarhar Airport have transported survivors, while hospitals urgently appeal for blood donations.
Witness accounts paint a grim picture. One survivor, Sadiqullah from Maza Dara, recalled a thunderous boom that jolted him awake. He managed to save three children before part of his home collapsed, trapping him for hours. His wife and two sons died, and his father lies injured in hospital. “It felt like the whole mountain was shaking,” he said.
Medical teams from Kabul, Kunar, and Nangarhar are deployed, but officials warn the toll could rise as more bodies are recovered. Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman noted that many areas remain cut off and unreported. Mujahid said helicopters have reached some sites, but road travel remains almost impossible.
International reaction came swiftly. UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi urged donors to step up, warning that the disaster adds to Afghanistan’s ongoing drought, poverty, and forced refugee returns. “Hopefully the donor community will not hesitate to support relief efforts,” he said on X. The International Rescue Committee cautioned that funding cuts have already crippled Afghanistan’s humanitarian response capacity.
The quake’s impact was also felt in Pakistan, including Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences and pledged support, even as Pakistan continues to expel Afghan refugees. At least 1.2 million Afghans have already returned from Iran and Pakistan this year, compounding the humanitarian strain.
The Afghanistan earthquake 2025 follows a deadly quake in October 2023 that killed thousands, though casualty figures remain disputed. Aid agencies warn that the latest disaster could overshadow even that tragedy, leaving Afghanistan in urgent need of international assistance.
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