KABUL, Afghanistan (BN24) — The death toll from Afghanistan’s most devastating earthquake in years has risen to more than 1,400, with thousands more injured, as rescue teams struggle to reach remote villages in the country’s mountainous eastern region, authorities said Tuesday.
Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that at least 1,411 people were killed, more than 3,100 injured, and over 5,400 homes destroyed after the 6.0-magnitude quake struck shortly after midnight on Monday. Officials and aid groups warned the toll is likely to climb as more victims are recovered from beneath the rubble.
The Afghan Red Crescent Society and U.N. officials said many people remain trapped in collapsed mud-and-brick houses, particularly in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, where the quake caused the most destruction. The Hindu Kush mountain region, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge, has long been vulnerable to deadly tremors.
Rescue teams were deployed to four badly damaged villages in Kunar on Monday, with operations expanding Tuesday to harder-to-reach communities along the Pakistani border. “We cannot accurately predict how many bodies might still be trapped under the rubble,” said Ehsanullah Ehsan, head of Kunar’s disaster management office. “Our effort is to complete these operations as soon as possible and to begin distributing aid.”
Difficult terrain, blocked mountain roads and harsh weather conditions have slowed rescue efforts. Helicopters flew in supplies and evacuated the injured to hospitals in Kabul and Nangarhar, while ambulances lined damaged roads trying to reach devastated communities.
The United Nations Children’s Fund warned that thousands of children are among those at risk, sending medical supplies, warm clothing, tents, and hygiene kits. The World Health Organization said over 12,000 people have been directly affected, warning that Afghanistan’s fragile healthcare system is overwhelmed and heavily dependent on external aid.
Taliban soldiers were deployed to secure the area and assist survivors. Authorities also rushed to remove animal carcasses to prevent contamination of water sources. “Damaged roads, ongoing aftershocks, and the remoteness of many villages severely impede the delivery of aid,” WHO said.
The disaster has further strained Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, already weakened by the sharp drop in international funding. The nation of 42 million, reeling from war and widespread poverty, has faced a steep decline in aid since international donors slashed programs in response to Taliban restrictions on women and humanitarian workers.
So far, Britain has pledged £1 million ($1.35 million) in emergency support, while India has sent 1,000 tents and 15 tons of food supplies to Kunar. Additional pledges of assistance have come from China, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, Pakistan and Iran, though much of the aid has yet to arrive.
The quake has underscored Afghanistan’s vulnerability as global crises stretch donor priorities. “With their houses in ruins, many people are living in the open, afraid of aftershocks,” said Safiullah Noorzai, of Aseel, a humanitarian technology platform. “Food and tents are desperately needed.”
The tragedy adds to Afghanistan’s mounting humanitarian crisis, where millions already depend on relief aid to survive.
