Srinagar, Sept 1: A devastating earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck eastern Afghanistan near Jalalabad around midnight, killing more than 250 people and injuring hundreds, officials confirmed on Monday.
The tremor, with its epicenter in the mountainous region close to the Pakistan border, struck at a shallow depth of just 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The shallow depth magnified the destruction, reducing houses and mud structures to rubble in several remote villages.
Shockwaves from the quake were felt across the border in Pakistan and parts of north India, including Jammu and Kashmir, triggering panic among residents.
Rescue efforts are underway, but officials warn the death toll may rise as many remain trapped under debris in inaccessible areas. With Afghanistan already reeling from a humanitarian crisis, the earthquake adds to the suffering of thousands.
This tragedy comes less than two years after the October 2023 earthquake in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, which killed more than 2,400 people — one of the deadliest quakes in the country’s history.
Authorities have appealed for urgent international assistance to aid rescue and relief operations.
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