Kabul — September 1, 2025 – A devastating earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, killing at least 800 people and injuring more than 2,500, according to Taliban authorities. Rescue efforts are underway but remain severely hampered by blocked roads, landslides, and the mountainous terrain’s remoteness.
The magnitude-6 quake struck near the Pakistan border just before midnight, with the province of Kunar suffering the worst damage. The shallow depth of the tremor amplified its destructive impact, leveling mud-brick homes and triggering widespread landslides and flooding. Aftershocks continued into Monday morning, rattling Kabul more than 100 miles away.
Families Shattered, Villages Cut Off
Hospitals across Kunar and neighboring provinces reported being overwhelmed with patients, while hundreds remain missing beneath the debris. Doctors at Asadabad’s provincial hospital described a nonstop influx of casualties.
Rasheed Khan, a Kabul shopkeeper from Kunar’s Watpur district, said he had lost his wife, three children, and two brothers. “It feels like doomsday,” he said while traveling back to his village. “Thousands are still buried under rubble, and I fear many won’t be found alive.”
Similar tragedies echoed across the region. In Nur Gul district, laborer Muhammad Aziz said 10 of his relatives, including his five children, were killed. “Every home has death inside,” he said. “The mud houses are gone, and people are begging for help.”
Relief Efforts Struggle Against Terrain
The Afghan Defense Ministry said it had dispatched doctors and medical supplies to Kunar, while Taliban officials appealed for international assistance, noting that some villages could only be reached by helicopter due to flooding and landslides.
Rescue workers described journeys that normally take two hours now stretching to eight. The remote village of Masood has seen near-total devastation, with an estimated 250 deaths and many still unaccounted for.
International aid is beginning to arrive. India has delivered emergency tents and food supplies, while China pledged to send additional relief. The United Nations said it is mobilizing assistance, and Pope Leo and Secretary-General António Guterres both expressed condolences.
Fragile Healthcare and Economic Strain
The disaster strikes at a moment of deep crisis for Afghanistan. Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, foreign aid has plummeted, leaving hospitals underfunded and healthcare capacity stretched to the breaking point. The withdrawal of U.S. assistance earlier this year forced dozens of clinics to close, and the recent mass return of more than 2 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan has further strained resources.
Jeremy Smith, country director for the Red Cross, warned that repeated aftershocks and damaged infrastructure are slowing the response. “The location makes this disaster especially challenging,” he said.
A Country Prone to Quakes
Afghanistan lies on the fault line between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates and is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations. Last year, a series of quakes in western Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people. In October 2023, a magnitude-6.3 earthquake claimed thousands of lives, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent memory.
As rescue teams work against time in Kunar, survivors face a grim reality: destroyed homes, lost families, and an uncertain future amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The Midtown Times Staff
