KABUL, September 1: The devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has claimed at least 1,411 lives and left over 3,000 people injured, according to officials cited by Al Jazeera. Most of the casualties have been reported from Kunar province, while thousands remain trapped or displaced.
The 6.0-magnitude quake, followed by aftershocks up to 5.0, struck near the Kama district of Nangarhar Province, close to the Pakistan border, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reported. At least four provinces – Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Nuristan – have been severely affected, with nearly 12,000 people directly impacted.
Rescue operations remain difficult as teams struggle to reach remote mountainous areas cut off from roads and communications.
India has dispatched urgent humanitarian assistance, including 1,000 family tents and 15 tonnes of food supplies, to support relief efforts. The Ministry of External Affairs posted images of trucks loaded with rice and other aid materials on X, reaffirming India’s solidarity with Afghanistan.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also spoke with Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, expressing condolences and confirming further relief consignments will be sent from India starting Tuesday.
“India stands by Afghanistan at this difficult time,” Jaishankar said.
Tremors from the quake were felt across the border in Pakistan, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
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