A powerful earthquake has devastated eastern Afghanistan, flattening villages and leaving widespread destruction. Eyewitnesses said entire communities were reduced to rubble, with no structures left standing. Some survivors described their villages as having been “completely wiped out.”
BBC journalist Yama Bariz reported he was attempting to reach the affected areas. The quake, which struck near the Pakistan border at 11:47 p.m. local time on Sunday, registered 6.0 on the Richter scale. Nangarhar and Kunar provinces were the hardest hit.
Twelve hours after the tremor, rescue operations were still ongoing. In Kunar, mountainous terrain, recent floods, and landslides have made roads impassable, leaving helicopters as the only means of delivering aid.
Hundreds of injured have been rushed to Jalalabad Central Hospital, while ambulances continue transporting victims. Witnesses said many villages in Kunar had been almost entirely flattened. Limited internet access has further complicated communication and coordination.
As of the latest reports, more than 800 people have been confirmed dead and over 3,000 injured, with officials warning the death toll could rise further.
Source: BBC.