A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan, causing widespread destruction and numerous casualties. According to a Taliban government spokesperson, the quake has destroyed villages and caused extensive damage, resulting in at least 610 fatalities and over 1300 injuries.

The seismic event occurred late Sunday, impacting several towns in Kunar province, close to the city of Jalalabad in the neighboring Nangarhar province. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake as having a magnitude of 6.0, striking at 11:47 pm (6:47 am Monday NZST). The epicenter was located approximately 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad, at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers. Shallower earthquakes typically inflict greater damage.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Qani communicated the casualty figures to the Associated Press, confirming the deaths of 610 individuals and injuries to 1300 in Kunar.He noted that numerous homes were destroyed in the disaster.

Qani also reported that in Nangarhar, a dozen people lost their lives, and hundreds sustained injuries.

“Rescue operations are still underway there, and several villages have been fully destroyed.”

The Kunar Disaster Management Authority released a statement earlier, indicating that at least 250 people were killed and 500 others were injured in the districts of Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapadare.

Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, stated that rescue operations are ongoing, and several villages have been completely destroyed. He added that medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar, and Kabul have been dispatched to the affected area, and the casualty figures are expected to change as more data becomes available.

He also noted that many areas have yet to report casualty figures, and the numbers are expected to change as more reports come in.

Jalalabad, a critically important trade hub due to its location near the Pakistan border and a key crossing point between the two nations, has an estimated population of 300,000, according to municipal data. Though, the greater metropolitan area is believed to be much larger. The city primarily consists of low-rise concrete and brick buildings, with mud-brick and wood homes in the outlying areas, many of which are poorly constructed.

Agriculture is also a significant part of Jalalabad’s economy, with citrus fruit and rice farming supported by the Kabul River that flows thru the city.

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake previously struck Afghanistan on October 7,2023,followed by significant aftershocks. While the Taliban government estimated around 4000 fatalities, the UN provided a lower estimate of approximately 1500. This earlier quake was the deadliest natural disaster in Afghanistan in recent history.