Afghanistan earthquake kills over 800: What made the 6.0 tremor so deadly and why the toll keeps climbing

Shallow quakes tend to cause more destruction because the seismic energy is released closer to the surface. Several aftershocks followed, including one of 5.2 magnitude, further damaging homes and trapping people under rubble.

Difficult terrain: Kunar and surrounding provinces are among the most mountainous regions of Afghanistan. The roads are rough, and in some places completely blocked. The BBC reported that a landslide cut off access to the quake’s epicentre, forcing the Taliban to use helicopters to reach survivors. Al Jazeera’s Mohsin Momand in Kabul added, “The roads are not paved. Mostly, they are covered with rocks because of the earthquake, and it’s very difficult to go there right now.”

Some of the most severely impacted villages in remote Kunar provinces "remain inaccessible due to road blockages", the UN migration agency warned in a statement to AFP.

A member of the agricultural department in Kunar's Nurgal district said people had rushed to clear blocked roads to isolated villages, but that badly affected areas were remote and had limited telecoms networks.

Lack of resources: Hospitals in the region are overwhelmed. A doctor in Asadabad, the capital of Kunar, told BBC that they were admitting “one patient every five minutes” and that the hospital was full. With limited equipment and medical supplies, treatment is difficult.

Afghanistan’s economic crisis has made matters worse. International aid has been cut since the Taliban takeover, leaving the country with shortages of food, medicine and fuel. Thamindri de Silva of World Vision Afghanistan told Al Jazeera that Kunar is “one of the most remote and also one of the poorest parts of Afghanistan.” She added that buildings there “very easily collapse,” meaning “a lot of people will be buried. Time truly is of the essence when it comes to this situation.”

Rescue efforts underway

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, “Sadly, tonight’s earthquake has caused loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces. Local officials and residents are currently engaged in rescue efforts for the affected people. Support teams from the centre and nearby provinces are also on their way.”

Footage shared online showed helicopters carrying soldiers and rescuers into Kunar, while injured survivors were evacuated to Jalalabad. Videos from Reuters showed patients being carried on stretchers into crowded hospitals.

India has already pledged help, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saying New Delhi would “extend assistance in this hour of need” and expressed “solidarity to Afghan people.”

A history of deadly quakes

Afghanistan sits on several fault lines, making earthquakes common. Just last October, a 6.3-magnitude quake killed at least 1,500 people in western Afghanistan. In June 2022, more than 1,000 died in another earthquake in the east.

Nangarhar province was also hit by flooding overnight Friday to Saturday, which killed five people and destroyed crops and property, provincial authorities said.

In October 2023, western Herat province was devastated by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed more than 1,500 people and damaged or destroyed more than 63,000 homes.

The latest disaster in Kunar highlights how geography, weak infrastructure and lack of resources combine to make earthquakes especially deadly in Afghanistan. With more people still buried under rubble and rescuers struggling to reach remote villages, the toll is expected to rise further.