Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan kills hundreds, injures thousands

A powerful, shallow earthquake late on Sunday night flattened villages in eastern Afghanistan, killing hundreds and injuring thousands as rescuers raced to reach remote mountain communities along the Pakistani border. The magnitude 6.0 quake struck at about 11:47 p.m. local time with an epicenter roughly 27 kilometers east‑northeast of Jalalabad, and at a depth of about 8 to 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Authorities said the worst damage was in Kunar and neighbouring Nangarhar provinces.

Casualty estimates have risen steadily as more areas were reached and counts reconciled. Initial Taliban government figures released on Monday put the toll at around 800 dead and more than 2,500 injured. By midweek the administration’s spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, and other Taliban officials reported much higher totals, with figures ranging from about 1,400 to more than 2,200 fatalities and several thousand injured. The Afghan Red Crescent and some local officials gave different tallies for deaths and houses destroyed, underscoring how figures can vary while rescue teams reach isolated villages.

Survivors described scenes of devastation. “Children are under the rubble....