Guwahati: At least 600 people have died, and 1,500 have been injured after a strong earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan on August 28, 2023, just before midnight. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck near the border with Pakistan, according to the US Geological Survey.
The tremor caused mud and wood homes to collapse, and helicopters were sent to evacuate the injured. Aftershocks were felt in both Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, with tremors reaching parts of India.
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Reaching those affected in the rural areas of Kunar and Nangarhar provinces has been difficult. Al Jazeera’s Mohsin Momand, reporting from Kabul, explained that most roads are unpaved and covered with debris, making rescue efforts challenging.
The fragile mud houses also collapsed easily, further complicating the effort to reach survivors. Eastern Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain and high population density make the region especially vulnerable to earthquakes.
Chris Elders, a professor of petroleum geology, explained that landslides could block roads and hinder aid efforts. Aftershocks are also a concern, causing further anxiety among the affected people.
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Rescue teams are working to bring injured survivors from Kunar to Ningarhar Regional Hospital in Jalalabad. According to TOLO news, hundreds of people have already been brought to the hospital.
The Interior Ministry confirmed that at least 610 people were killed in Kunar and 12 in Nangarhar, with over 1,300 injured in Kunar alone. Many homes have been destroyed, and 255 people were injured in Nangarhar.
Local authorities have been instructed to provide immediate assistance, and teams have been mobilized to help with security, healthcare, food, and transport. The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) is providing emergency medical care in the affected areas.
The earthquake caused heavy damage, especially in Kunar’s Nurgal district, where both human casualties and substantial financial losses occurred.
As rescue operations continue, the casualty figures are expected to rise, with the Interior Ministry confirming at least 622 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries so far.
Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where two tectonic plates meet.
In 2023, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Herat killed more than 2,000 people, and a similar quake in 2022 killed around 1,000 people in eastern Afghanistan.
Rescue efforts are still underway, and many areas have yet to report full casualty figures. Villages in Kunar, particularly in Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapadare, have been severely affected.
The Health Ministry has sent teams to assist, and Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry has sent doctors and 800kg of medical supplies to local hospitals, which are overwhelmed by the number of casualties. Taliban officials have also arrived in Kunar to oversee the response.
The earthquake occurred about 27 kilometers east of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. A smaller 4.5-magnitude aftershock followed shortly after the main quake.
As the situation remains fluid, more casualties are expected to be reported in the coming days.
In October 2023, another earthquake in western Afghanistan killed at least 2,400 people, showing the country’s ongoing vulnerability to such natural disasters.