Rescuers race against time in eastern Afghanistan after one of the country’s deadliest earthquakes killed more than 1,100 people.
The Afghan Red Crescent Society confirmed on Tuesday that the death toll had reached 1,124, with at least 3,251 people injured. More than 8,000 houses were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter.
The magnitude-6 quake struck around midnight in the eastern province of Kunar, near the border with Pakistan. Its shallow depth of 10 km caused massive damage, flattening mudbrick homes and cutting off remote mountain villages.
Rescue operations began in four villages immediately after the tremor, but officials say the focus has now shifted to harder-to-reach areas. “We cannot predict how many bodies remain under the rubble,” said Ehsanullah Ehsan, Kunar’s provincial disaster management head. He added that aid distribution would begin once urgent rescue work is complete.
Difficult terrain and bad weather have slowed efforts. Narrow mountain roads blocked by debris have prevented vehicles from reaching some communities. Heavy machinery has been brought in to clear paths, while helicopters transport supplies and evacuate the injured to hospitals.
Witnesses reported ambulances lined along damaged roads and constant airlifts from the affected region. Many injured survivors have been transferred to hospitals in Kabul and Nangarhar province.
Taliban soldiers have been deployed to assist rescue teams and provide security. However, the disaster comes at a time when Afghanistan faces severe challenges, including reduced foreign aid and mass deportations from neighboring countries.
International agencies have also stepped in. The World Health Organisation warned that damaged roads, aftershocks, and overwhelmed hospitals make aid delivery difficult. The UN confirmed that teams are disposing of animal carcasses to prevent contamination of water supplies.
Rescuers race not only against the clock but also against worsening conditions, as thousands remain vulnerable without homes, medical care, or clean water.
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