Eastern Afghanistan Earthquake Leaves Villages in Ruins, Over 800 Dead and Thousands Injured
A powerful earthquake slammed eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, causing widespread damage.
A massive earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, inflicting severe damage. Homes fell, killing towns, and families sought to preserve them. The Taliban reported 800 deaths and 2,500 injured. Officials said rural areas may witness more deaths.
Before midnight, Kunar province near Jalalabad, Nangarhar, felt a 6.0 earthquake. Mountain-sized earthquakes occurred due to shallow depth. Dozens of aftershocks terrified people and hampered rescue.
Nurgal locals, one of the worst-hit neighborhoods, said almost every house was destroyed. Families digging with their hands into crumbling mud-brick and wooden homes saved children, parents, and the elderly pleading for help. Scary scenes of screaming and crumbling buildings are remembered.
Sadiqullah from Maza Dara died. He awoke to thunder that shook the valley. Before his house collapsed, three kids were saved. His wife and two sons perished, but he survived. He mourns with others whose loved ones died in the accident.
Afghanistan has limited roads and difficult terrain, making rescue and help harder. Remote settlements require hours of walking for safety. Some injured persons are airlifted to Nangarhar and Kabul hospitals from inaccessible areas. Local hospitals are full of disaster victims.
The Taliban also said national medical and emergency response personnel are helping survivors. Some villages haven’t reported deaths, therefore the disaster may be worse than expected. Zabihullah Mujahid, the government’s senior spokesperson, said it was hard to reach to the worst-hit areas and that the death toll could rise once bodies are located.
The earthquake shook Islamabad but killed no one. Poor buildings and facilities in Afghanistan damage rural communities. The earthquake killed people and shut off huge areas from hospitals, food, and clean water. Help them.
International aid is arriving. The calamity exacerbates drought, poverty, and the return of millions of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Aid groups stressed the necessity of food, medical supplies, emergency services, and roads for vulnerable people.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies advised us to act promptly to preserve lives in the coming days. Without immediate action, they added, circumstances could get worse for those in need. Afghans still struggle, but some humanitarian agencies have slashed their funding and are seeking outside aid.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised to aid and sympathize with the Afghans. Since Pakistan sent Afghan refugees home, over a million have done so this year. A weak nation has been stressed by this.
After the October 2023 Afghan earthquakes that killed 4,000, this tragedy occurred. These events demonstrate Afghans how frail their homes are and how much aid they require from other nations. People had to start over after losing family in the disaster.
Help is needed for East Afghanistan. Quickly, aid workers are working, families are searching for lost loved ones, and the country begs the world to remember how much it hurts. A massive earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, inflicting severe damage. Homes fell, killing towns, and families sought to preserve them. The Taliban reported 800 deaths and 2,500 injured. Officials said rural areas may witness more deaths.
Before midnight, Kunar province near Jalalabad, Nangarhar, felt a 6.0 earthquake. Mountain-sized earthquakes occurred due to shallow depth. Dozens of aftershocks terrified people and hampered rescue.
Nurgal locals, one of the worst-hit neighborhoods, said almost every house was destroyed. Families digging with their hands into crumbling mud-brick and wooden homes saved children, parents, and the elderly pleading for help. Scary scenes of screaming and crumbling buildings are remembered.
Sadiqullah from Maza Dara died. He awoke to thunder that shook the valley. Before his house collapsed, three kids were saved. He was saved, but his wife and two sons died. He is sorrowful, like many others whose loved ones died in the disaster.
Afghanistan has poor roads and harsh terrain, making rescue and aid tougher. In remote towns, people must walk hours for safety. Many regions are inaccessible, but some injured people are being flown to Nangarhar and Kabul hospitals. Local hospitals are filled of victims of catastrophes.
The Taliban also said medical and emergency response teams from across the nation are treating survivors. Some villages haven’t reported deaths, therefore the calamity may be worse than they thought. Zabihullah Mujahid, the government’s senior spokesperson, said it was hard to reach to the worst-hit areas and that the death toll could rise once bodies are located.
Islamabad was shaken by the earthquake, however no one killed. Rural communities are heavily harmed by Afghanistan’s poor buildings and facilities. Besides killing individuals, the earthquake cut off large areas from hospitals, food, and clean water. Help these people.
International aid is arriving. The calamity exacerbates drought, poverty, and the return of millions of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Aid agencies underlined the importance of access to food, medical supplies, emergency services, and roadways for those under threat.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies advised us to act promptly to preserve lives in the coming days. Without immediate action, they added, circumstances could get worse for those in need. Afghans still struggle, but some humanitarian agencies have slashed their funding and are seeking outside aid.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised to aid and sympathize with the Afghans. Since Pakistan sent Afghan refugees home, over a million have done so this year. A weak nation has been stressed by this.
After the October 2023 Afghan earthquakes that killed 4,000, this tragedy occurred. These events demonstrate Afghans how frail their homes are and how much aid they require from other nations. People had to start over after losing family in the disaster.
Help is needed for East Afghanistan. Quickly, aid workers are working, families are searching for lost loved ones, and the country begs the world to remember how much it hurts.
Sources:
Associated Press
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Taliban Government Official Statements
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
