Hundreds dead after major earthquake rocks Afghanistan

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Afghanistan Sunday night about 150 miles east of the capital of Kabul and near the border with Pakistan. The epicenter of the quake was nearly five miles deep and shook the nearby city of Jalalabad, which has a population of more than 270,000, along with multiple other area communities, according to the United States Geological Survey. Authorities in Afghanistan reported the quake killed at least 800 people and injured at least 2,800 more. Officials on Monday traveled to the hard-hit Nangarhar Province and the government allocated funding and established a committee to distribute aid. Rescue and recovery workers struggled Monday to reach remote mountain communities as helicopters and security forces assisted with the response.

How has the international community responded? Multiple United Nations organizations including the World Health Organization, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, the World Food Program, and others were on the ground Monday to deliver aid. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country would provide humanitarian assistance, as did Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Islamic Relief organization on Monday deployed an emergency health team to help treat survivors.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report from 2023 about another major earthquake in Afghanistan.