Afghanistan Earthquake: Death Toll Rises Beyond 1,100
According to the Afghan Red Crescent, the death toll from the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan on Sunday night has risen to 1,124, while 3,251 people have been injured and more than 8,000 houses destroyed.
The quake devastated several provinces, toppling mud-brick and wooden houses and leaving hundreds trapped under the rubble. The worst-hit area was Kunar province, where many residents live in mountain valleys along rivers.
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Helicopters and rescue teams race against time as casualties rise and remote areas remain cut off.
Spokesman for the Afghan National Disaster Management Authority, Yousuf Hamad, said that the injured are being shifted to hospitals, and the numbers are feared to rise further. He added that landslides blocked several roads, though most have now been reopened.
Authorities said helicopters are being used to evacuate the injured to hospitals, while rescue teams are traveling on foot to reach remote areas.
The Afghan government has appealed to the international community for urgent aid. This is the third major earthquake to hit Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power in 2021, pushing the country into yet another humanitarian crisis at a time when it is already struggling with dwindling foreign assistance, a fragile economy, and the forced return of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan.
