Afghanistan Earthquake Claims Over 2,200 Lives

(MENAFN) More than 2,200 people have been confirmed dead following a powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan over the weekend, according to the latest casualty figures released Thursday by Taliban authorities.

The updated toll—2,217 fatalities and nearly 4,000 injuries—was posted by deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat on X, who emphasized that "rescue efforts are still ongoing" amid severe logistical challenges in the rugged terrain of Kunar province, the hardest-hit area.

The shallow quake, which struck late Sunday near the Pakistan border, flattened homes constructed primarily of mud-brick as residents slept, triggering widespread devastation across remote mountain communities. While initial figures placed the death toll at 1,469, officials now describe the event as one of the most catastrophic earthquakes in decades for the impoverished nation.

In an earlier update, survivors remained trapped under debris, with emergency crews still struggling as of Wednesday to reach inaccessible areas. Rockfalls caused by aftershocks have complicated rescue efforts, hampering access to villages already isolated by geography and rudimentary infrastructure.

Thousands of residents, fearful of ongoing tremors, have refused to re-enter damaged buildings. "Everyone is afraid and there are many aftershocks," said Awrangzeeb Noori, 35, speaking to AFP from Dara-i-Nur village in Nangarhar province. "We spend all day and night in the field without shelter."

While Kunar province accounts for the bulk of casualties, authorities also reported fatalities and hundreds of injuries in Nangarhar and Laghman provinces.

Humanitarian teams are facing severe logistical challenges, with Save the Children reporting that one of its units had to trek 20 kilometres on foot to reach remote villages isolated by landslides, transporting medical supplies manually with assistance from local residents.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it is intensifying its emergency operations to address what it called "immense" health needs. The agency said additional funding was urgently required to maintain critical services. WHO has formally appealed for $4 million to expand mobile health units, distribute medical supplies, and prevent further loss of life.

According to UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi, more than 500,000 people across the region have been affected by the earthquake, based on a statement he shared on X.

As rescue operations continue, time is running out for many still trapped beneath the rubble in remote districts with limited access to food, clean water, and medical aid.

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