At least 800 people have died and thousands have been injured after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the country’s border with Pakistan, the latest in a series of deadly seismic events the country has faced in the past few years.
Key Takeaways
- Citing Afghanistan’s Taliban-run government, the Associated Press reported that at least 2,500 people have been injured by the quake.
- The death toll number has continued to rise as rescue and recovery efforts are mounted in the country’s remote mountainous eastern areas.
- According to the United States Geological Survey’s tracker, the 6.0 magnitude quake’s epicenter was located approximately 17 miles from Jalalabad, a city with a population of around 300,000 people.
- The epicenter was at a depth of only 5 miles below the surface and such shallow quakes tend to be more destructive.
- According to The New York Times, aftershocks of the earthquake could be felt in Kabul throughout Sunday night, although it is unclear if there were any casualties in the Afghan capital, located 100 miles away from Jalalabad.
Crucial Quote
In a post on X, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Taliban run government, Zabihullah Mujahid, said: “Sadly, tonight’s earthquake has caused loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces. Local officials and residents are currently engaged in rescue efforts for the affected people.”
What do we know about the current state of Afghanistan?
The deadly earthquake comes at a time when the country is already grappling with a large-scale humanitarian crisis. The country’s government had been under the control of the Taliban, who took over four years ago after the U.S. military’s exit from the country.
A report published by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, last month said: “By October 2025, over 9.5 million Afghans (representing 21 per cent of the population) are expected to experience crisis levels of food insecurity and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, driven by climatic shocks and high food prices, and exacerbated by funding cuts.” The U.S. accounted for 40% of the aid provided to Afghanistan until January 2025, which has since been impacted severely by the Trump administration’s move to gut U.S. foreign aid programs.
An Afghan foreign ministry official told Reuters: “So far, no foreign governments have reached out to provide support for rescue or relief work.” The country’s humanitarian crisis is expected to worsen as millions of Afghans are forced to return to the country after being deported from neighboring Pakistan and Iran. UN officials have have raised alarm about these mass deportation efforts.
What Do We Know About Recent Earthquakes In Afghanistan?
Located in a seismically active region, Afghanistan has experienced multiple deadly earthquakes in recent years. In 2023, a 6.3 magnitude quake in the Herat Province in the country’s west killed as many as 2,000 people. A year before that, a 6.2 magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan left more than 1,100 dead.
Big Number
According to the United States Geological Survey’s tracker, the 6.0 magnitude quake’s epicenter was located approximately 17 miles from Jalalabad, a city with a population of around 300,000 people.
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