Devastating Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan, Killing Over 800 and Injuring 2,800

A massive 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan's eastern provinces, killing at least 812 people and injuring 2,800, with the death toll likely to rise as rescuers struggle to reach remote areas. The disaster has further strained the war-torn nation's resources, already grappling with a sharp drop in foreign aid and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Afghans by neighboring countries. The quake razed three villages in Kunar, with substantial damage in many others, and rescue teams are working to dispose of animal carcasses to minimize the risk of contamination to water resources.

Key Takeaways:

• The earthquake killed 812 people in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, with at least 610 deaths reported in Kunar and 12 in Nangarhar.
• Rescuers are battling to reach remote mountainous areas cut off from mobile networks along the Pakistani border, where mudbrick homes collapsed in the quake.
• The quake razed three villages in Kunar, with substantial damage in many others, and rescue teams are working to dispose of animal carcasses.
• Casualties could rise as rescue teams access more isolated locations, authorities said.
• The disaster has further strained the war-torn nation's resources, already grappling with a sharp drop in foreign aid and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Afghans.
• International aid is needed to tackle the devastation, with the UN estimating that more than half the population is in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

Statistics:

• At least 2,800 people were injured in the earthquake.
• The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers access more isolated locations.
• The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.0 and struck at a depth of six miles.
• The UN estimates that more than half the population (around 24 million people) is in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

Sources:

• Spokesman for the health ministry in Kabul, Sharafat Zaman.
• Administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
• UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Kate Carey.
• Reuters.
• China's foreign ministry spokesperson.
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
• Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.