A catastrophic 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, claiming at least 250 lives and injuring over 500 people, according to local authorities. The quake, centred 27 kilometres east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, hit at 11:47 pm with a shallow depth of 8 kilometres, amplifying its destructive force.

The hardest-hit areas include the districts of Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapadare in Kunar province. The Kunar Disaster Management Authority reported widespread devastation, with rescue efforts ongoing. A second quake, measuring 4.5 in magnitude, struck 20 minutes later, further complicating relief operations.

Naqibullah Rahimi, a spokesman for the Nangarhar Public Health Department, confirmed that at least 15 injured victims were rushed to local hospitals. The shallow depth of the quake exacerbated the damage, levelling homes and infrastructure.

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This disaster follows a deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake in October 2023, which killed between 1,500 and 4,000 people, marking it as one of Afghanistan’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history. Authorities are bracing for a rising death toll as rescue teams search through the rubble.

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