New Delhi | September 1, 2025

A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, leaving behind widespread devastation and a mounting humanitarian crisis. According to the Taliban-run government, more than 800 people have been confirmed dead and over 2,800 injured as of Monday morning. Authorities fear that the death toll could rise further as rescue operations continue in remote and inaccessible areas.

The 6.0-magnitude quake, recorded at 11:47 pm local time (12:47 am IST), had its epicenter in eastern Afghanistan at a depth of 160 km, according to the National Centre for Seismology. The tremors were felt across a wide region, including Pakistan and parts of northern India, where residents in Delhi-NCR reported strong shaking late into the night.

The initial jolt was followed by several aftershocks, with magnitudes of 4.3, 4.7, and 5.0, further deepening the panic and adding to structural damage in villages and towns already reeling from the main shock.

Villages Razed, Infrastructure Collapses

The Afghan Health Ministry reported that three villages in Kunar province were completely destroyed, while many others sustained severe damage. In one village alone, at least 30 lives were lost, and hundreds of injured victims were rushed to nearby hospitals.

Najibullah Hanif, provincial head of information in Kunar, confirmed preliminary figures of 250 deaths and 500 injuries from his province alone, though he cautioned that the numbers were likely to rise as assessments continued. Mud and stone houses, common in rural Afghanistan, collapsed easily, trapping families beneath the rubble.

Rescue teams are struggling to reach the hardest-hit villages due to poor infrastructure and damaged roads. Local clinics are overwhelmed, with early reports indicating over 400 injured treated in just a handful of facilities. Medical workers fear shortages of medicines, blood supplies, and basic equipment in the coming days.

Lack of International Response

As of Monday morning, no foreign government has officially offered aid or assistance, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s foreign office confirmed. This lack of immediate international support has heightened concerns about how the country will cope with the scale of destruction.

However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy while returning from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China. He assured that India stands ready to provide humanitarian aid and relief supplies to Afghanistan, signaling potential support in the days to come.

Earthquake-Prone Region

Afghanistan is located along a major seismic fault line where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, making it one of Asia’s most earthquake-prone countries. The Hindu Kush mountain range has historically witnessed devastating tremors.

In October 2023, a series of quakes—one as strong as 6.3 magnitude—killed thousands, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in the country’s recent history. That disaster highlighted the country’s fragile infrastructure and lack of preparedness, vulnerabilities once again exposed in the latest quake.

A Nation in Crisis

With entire villages flattened, thousands injured, and rescue operations underway, Afghanistan faces an uphill struggle to recover. The lack of foreign aid so far raises fears of worsening conditions for survivors who urgently need shelter, food, and medical help.

For a nation already grappling with economic hardship, political isolation, and humanitarian challenges, this earthquake adds yet another layer of crisis. Unless swift international support arrives, the tragedy could deepen further, leaving thousands more vulnerable in its wake.