Afghanistan Hit by Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake... "Death Toll Surpasses 800"

Medical Teams Dispatched Urgently
Rising Casualties Expected as Many Remain Trapped Under Collapsed Buildings

The death toll from the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has surpassed 800.

According to AFP on September 1 (local time), more than 800 people were killed and around 2,500 were injured in a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck near Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, at approximately 11:47 p.m. the previous day. As of the afternoon of September 1, the number of deaths was reported to be 622, but the number of casualties increased as rescue operations continued.

A boy injured in the earthquake that occurred in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, is receiving treatment at a hospital on the 1st. Photo by AFP

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban regime, stated at a press conference held in the capital Kabul that most of the casualties occurred in Kunar Province, which borders Pakistan. In neighboring Nangarhar Province, 12 people were reported dead and 255 injured. However, since many people remain trapped under collapsed buildings, the actual number of casualties is expected to rise further.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the earthquake was located at latitude 34.51 degrees north and longitude 70.73 degrees east, with a depth of 8 kilometers. The region spanning Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India frequently experiences earthquakes because it lies at the intersection of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. In October 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake also struck Herat Province in western Afghanistan, resulting in about 2,000 deaths and a total of 4,500 casualties.