Afghanistan Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 622, Over 1,500 Injured

Afghanistan is facing a monumental humanitarian crisis after a powerful earthquake struck its eastern region, killing at least 622 people and injuring more than 1,500. The disaster, one of the deadliest in the country’s recent history, has devastated remote villages, overwhelming local authorities and aid agencies.

The magnitude 6.0 quake’s epicenter was in the rugged, mountainous terrain of eastern Afghanistan, with the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar bearing the brunt of the destruction. Officials reported that the tremors completely destroyed homes and razed at least three villages in Kunar province alone, which accounted for the vast majority of the casualties with 610 deaths.

Rescue efforts are underway but face significant challenges due to the remote location of the affected villages and Afghanistan’s already fragile infrastructure. The country’s military has been deployed for emergency operations, conducting 40 helicopter flights to ferry the wounded and recover the dead. These flights have so far transported more than 420 people.

This tragedy marks Afghanistan’s deadliest seismic event since June 2022, when a quake in the southeastern province of Paktika killed over 1,000 people. The latest disaster strikes a nation already crippled by a severe economic crisis and a drastic reduction in foreign aid following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.

A critical concern emerging is the lack of immediate international support for relief efforts. As of the latest reports, no major international aid has been announced, potentially hampering rescue and recovery operations. The Taliban government has called for global assistance, but the logistics of delivering aid and the complexities of international relations present a significant hurdle.

With helicopters combing the skies to rescue survivors from the rubble and teams on the ground searching for more victims, the full scale of the destruction is still being assessed. The number of casualties is feared to rise as rescuers reach more isolated communities cut off by the earthquake.