Earthquake in Afghanistan claims 20 lives, over 100 injured

KABUL: At least 20 people lost their lives after a powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan late Sunday night.

According to details, the earthquake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, occurred in the early hours of Monday, leaving more than 100 people injured.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the epicenter was near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, with a depth of 8 kilometers. Just 20 minutes later, another tremor of 4.5 magnitude was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement on social media that the earthquake caused both human and material losses.

He added that local authorities and residents are engaged in relief activities, while rescue teams have been dispatched to assist in rescue and rehabilitation operations.

Following the disaster, the Afghan Taliban appealed to international aid organizations for assistance in relief efforts.

According to the BBC, there are fears of a much higher death toll in Kunar province, with initial reports suggesting that hundreds may have perished. A Taliban official involved in the evacuation of bodies via helicopters confirmed that 21 people were killed and 35 injured in a single village.

The earthquake-hit areas are remote and difficult to access, with some regions facing communication blackouts due to non-functional mobile networks, while landslides and floods have severed road links in others.

It is worth noting that in 2022, an earthquake measuring 5.9 in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 1,000 people and injured around 3,000, marking the deadliest quake to hit the country in two decades.