Afghanistan Earthquake Kills 800, Injures More Than 2,500; India Offers Support
Moneylife Digital Team 01 September 2025
Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in the dead of the night after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing around 800 people and injuring more than 2,500, according to figures provided by the Taliban government on Monday.
 
The 6.0 magnitude quake struck at 11:47pm, centred 27kms east-northeast of Jalalabad city in Nangarhar province, the US Geological Survey says. 
 
With a shallow depth of just 8kms, the tremor caused extensive damage in Kunar province and nearby towns. Several aftershocks were also recorded, adding to the panic among residents.
 
In its statement, the Afghan interior ministry put the death toll at 622 with over 1,500 injured, while other government sources cited nearly 800 fatalities and more than 2,500 people hurt. The figures are expected to rise as rescuers struggled to reach remote hamlets in an area long vulnerable to earthquakes and floods.
 
Local reports described scenes of devastation as families tried to dig out survivors trapped under collapsed homes. Hospitals in the region, already short of resources, were overwhelmed by the injured.
 
India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar expressed deep concern over the tragedy, extending condolences to the victims’ families. In a message on Monday, he conveyed India’s solidarity with the Afghan people and assured that New Delhi would extend assistance in this hour of need.
 
The latest disaster highlights Afghanistan’s fragility as it grapples with ongoing humanitarian and economic crises, leaving many communities ill-prepared to cope with natural calamities of such scale.
 
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