The death toll from last weekend's earthquake in the mountainous Kunar province, near the border with Pakistan, has reached 2,205, with 3,640 injured, according to Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban administration. An additional 12 deaths and hundreds of injuries were reported in the neighboring provinces of Nangarhar and Laghman.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, and the death toll is expected to climb. "Hundreds of bodies have been recovered from destroyed homes," Fitrat said.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck near midnight on 31/8 at a depth of 8 km, about 27 km from Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Shallow earthquakes like this one often cause significant damage.

People bury victims in Nurgal district, Kunar province, eastern Afghanistan on 1/9. Photo: AFP

People bury victims in Nurgal district, Kunar province, eastern Afghanistan on 1/9. Photo: AFP

Kunar province was the hardest hit, with three villages completely leveled. Several other provinces, including Nangarhar, Laghman, Nuristan, and Panjshir, were also affected. The earthquake was also felt in several cities in Pakistan.

On 2/9, the Taliban administration appealed to the international community for emergency assistance. This is a rare call for international aid from Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

International experts warn that Afghanistan's aid system is nearly paralyzed and have urged countries to release blocked humanitarian funds to support rescue efforts. "Afghanistan cannot cope with this disaster alone," emphasized international law expert Osama Malik.

While several countries have sent planes with aid to Afghanistan, hundreds of people in Nurgal district, Kunar province, remain homeless. Many families are huddled under salvaged tarps with no food.

Filippo Grandi, head of the United Nations refugee agency, said the earthquake has "affected more than 500,000 people" in eastern Afghanistan.

Huyen Le (According to AFP)