A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, claiming at least 610 lives and injuring 1,300, according to the Taliban government's Interior Ministry. The quake, centered 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, hit at 11:47 pm with a shallow depth of 8 kilometers, amplifying its destructive force.

Kunar province bore the brunt, with numerous villages reduced to rubble. “Many houses were destroyed, and rescue operations are ongoing,” said Abdul Matin Qani, Interior Ministry spokesman. In Nangarhar, at least 12 people died, and hundreds were injured. Medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar, and Kabul have rushed to the area, but poor infrastructure and remote locations are hampering efforts. “Casualty figures are likely to rise as reports come in,” said Sharafat Zaman, a public health ministry spokesman.

Jalalabad, a key trade hub near Pakistan with a population of around 300,000, saw significant damage to its low-rise concrete and brick buildings, as well as mud-brick homes in outlying areas. The city, known for its citrus and rice farming along the Kabul River, is struggling to respond to the crisis.

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This disaster follows a devastating 6.3 magnitude quake in October 2023, which killed between 1,500 and 4,000 people, according to varying estimates. Afghanistan’s poorly constructed buildings and limited emergency resources continue to exacerbate the toll of such natural disasters.

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