Midnight Quake Devastates Eastern Afghanistan: 800+ Dead, 2,800 Injured

A magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan around midnight, killing more than 800 people and injuring at least 2,800, officials said Monday. The shallow quake—about 10 km (6 miles) deep—flattened mud-brick homes across Kunar and Nangarhar provinces as helicopters ferried survivors to hospitals and rescuers combed the rubble.

Authorities said three villages in Kunar were razed, with widespread damage elsewhere and patchy mobile service along the Pakistani border. The defense ministry reported 40 flights moving 420 dead and wounded as military teams fanned out to remote mountain hamlets. Most of the casualties are in Kunar, with smaller but significant losses in Nangarhar.

Kabul’s health ministry appealed for international aid, warning that the disaster will strain an already overburdened system. Humanitarian funding has plunged—from $3.8 billion in 2022 to $767 million this year—even as the UN estimates over half the population needs assistance. The UN mission said it’s preparing support; China signaled it is ready to help “within its capacity.” Afghan officials said no foreign governments had formally offered assistance early Monday.

It’s Afghanistan’s third major deadly quake since 2021, underscoring the country’s seismic risk at the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. With roads damaged, communications spotty, and aftershocks reported, officials cautioned the toll could rise as crews reach isolated areas.

Health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman put it bluntly:

“We need [aid] because here lots of people lost their lives and houses.”

With input from the Associated Press, CNBC, Al Jazeera, the New York Times, and Reuters.