More than 622 people have died and at least 1,500 others were injured in a magnitude 6 earthquake that struck Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday evening, the Afghan Ministry of Interior reported on Monday.
اضافة اعلان
Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen stated that 610 deaths and 1,300 injuries occurred in Kunar, where many homes were destroyed. Additionally, 12 people were killed in Nangarhar province.
A Ministry of Information official noted that Kunar was the hardest-hit area, with roads blocked due to landslides. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, supported by helicopters.
The spokesperson for the Afghan interim government, Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed casualties in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
"Unfortunately, today’s earthquake caused losses of life and property in the eastern provinces."
Local authorities described the earthquake as one of the strongest to hit the country in recent years. At least two aftershocks were recorded, one measuring 5.2 magnitude.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake struck at a depth of 8 kilometers, about 27 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan.
-- (AFP)
