Afghanistan earthquake kills over 1,400, thousands injured UPDATED

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Afghanistan has reached 1,411, with 3,124 people reported injured, according to Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban, who shared the figures on X.

Fitrat stated that in Kunar province, 5,412 homes have been destroyed.

Rescue operations are ongoing across all affected areas as authorities continue to assess the full scale of the disaster.

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The death toll from Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake in years has climbed sharply, surpassing 1,100, the Afghan Red Crescent Society reported on September 2. 

According to the humanitarian group, at least 1,124 people have been confirmed dead, 3,251 injured, and more than 8,000 homes destroyed after the 6.0-magnitude quake struck eastern Kunar province on August 31, Reuters says. 

Rescue operations have been hampered by rugged terrain and difficult access to remote mountain villages, where many remain trapped beneath collapsed mud and stone houses.

The United Nations coordinator in Afghanistan warned that the toll is likely to rise further. UNICEF said thousands of children are among those at risk and announced it was dispatching emergency aid, including medicines, warm clothing, tents, tarpaulins, and hygiene supplies such as soap, towels, sanitary pads, and water containers.

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge.

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Afghanistan has appealed for international assistance after a devastating 6.0-magnitude earthquake killed more than 900 people and injured thousands in the country’s eastern Kunar province. The quake struck just before midnight on August 31, flattening entire villages along the mountainous border with Pakistan.

Rescuers worked into the night on September 1, searching for survivors among the rubble of mud-and-stone homes built in steep valleys. The shallow earthquake, which occurred only six miles beneath the surface, caused particularly severe destruction. Many areas remain inaccessible due to rough terrain and heavy rain, complicating rescue operations, Caliber.Az reports via Guardian.

Yousaf Hammad, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, said on September 2 that the death toll had risen to 900, with 3,000 people injured. Authorities warned that casualties are likely to rise further as teams reach more isolated villages.

Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Kabul, called for international support to help cope with the disaster.

“We need it because here lots of people lost their lives and houses,” he said.

The quake destroyed three villages in Kunar and caused significant damage in surrounding areas. Kunar province alone accounted for at least 610 deaths, while 12 fatalities were reported in neighboring Nangarhar province. In Ghazi Abad village of Nurgal district, entire communities were reduced to rubble, with residents laboring to recover the injured and bury the dead.

“The aftermath of the disaster suggests that life here was ended in mere seconds,” said one resident, Abdullah. “The full extent of the earthquake’s impact will become clearer in the coming days as recovery efforts continue and many are still trapped.”

Villagers wrapped bodies in white shrouds and prayed over them before burial, while helicopters transported the wounded to hospitals. Military teams conducted 40 flights, moving 420 injured and deceased, but heavy rain and landslides hindered access to remote areas along the border.

Afghanistan is already facing severe economic hardship, compounded by the withdrawal of international aid following the Taliban takeover in 2021 and strict policies restricting female education and employment. The earthquake further strains the Taliban administration’s limited resources, which are also stretched by the recent return of hundreds of thousands of Afghans deported from Iran and Pakistan.

In response, several countries have pledged support. Britain announced emergency funding to help those affected, directing aid through local partners rather than the Taliban. China expressed readiness to provide disaster relief “according to Afghanistan’s needs and within its capacity.” India delivered 1,000 family tents to Kabul and sent 15 tonnes of food to Kunar, with additional relief scheduled for September 2. The US State Department expressed condolences on X but had not confirmed whether aid would be provided.

By Sabina Mammadli