At least 800 killed in Afghanistan earthquake

At least 800 people were killed in Afghanistan after an earthquake struck the country's eastern provinces late on Sunday night, when video posted to social media showed locals scrambling to free loved ones and neighbours from under collapsed buildings. 

The United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (UNOCHA) confirmed the death toll on Monday, but added that as many as 12,000 could be impacted by the disaster.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a government spokesman, told Ariana News that most of the victims are in Kunar province, along the northeast border with Pakistan, which was the epicentre of the 6.1 quake believed to have occurred at a shallow depth of eight kilometres. 

The next-door provinces of Laghman and Nangarhar were also struck by tremors, which were felt as far as the capital Kabul, some 140km away, and Islamabad in neighbouring Pakistan.

These are some of the poorest parts of Afghanistan, with an unreliable communications system at the best of times. 

Mujahid said he was unable to confirm the number of casualties because collapsed infrastructure, as well as landslides, have cut off several roads to these remote and now largely flattened villages, Ariana News reported. 

Army helicopters were used to transport victims to hospitals.

According to the Afghan Red Crescent on Monday, there are more than 3,000 wounded so far, and at least 1,000 homes destroyed. 

#Updated_Figures on Casualties and Financial Losses in #Kunar, #Nangarhar, and #Laghman Provinces! pic.twitter.com/mjschHr12T

— Afghan Red Crescent | افغاني سره میاشت (@ARCSAfghanistan) September 1, 2025

Key national service providers have stepped in, including the Afghan Wireless Communication Company, which was among the first to reach villages that had been turned into rubble. 

While several relief teams have been mobilised in convoys, there were no visuals depicting heavy machinery or other rescue equipment. 

Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes, with significant seismic activity particularly detected along its western border with Iran, a country with a long history of being hit by such devastating events. 

Smaller tremors are felt several times a year in Afghanistan. A 2022 earthquake in the eastern Paktika Province killed 1,000 people, and a 2023 earthquake in the western Herat Province - which occurred on 7 October 2023 and was largely obscured by headlines about the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel - killed nearly 1,500 Afghans. 

"Our thoughts and solidarity are with all those affected by the devastating earthquake, which adds to the ongoing humanitarian challenges the country has endured for many years," the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday, adding that it is "supporting the efforts" of the Afghan Red Crescent.

"This includes providing emergency medical supplies, water, and sanitation equipment, forensic services, and assisting people trying to trace or contact missing loved ones". 

The United Nations children's agency, Unicef, has also deployed its own medical response teams, and the World Health Organisation is sending in food and medicine.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres expressed his condolences to the Afghan people on Monday and said the UN will "spare no efforts to assist those in need".

Pakistan's foreign minister has also extended his country's support. 

The US State Department expressed its condolences but stopped short of offering help.

The US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in a chaotic turn of events in 2021, after a 20-year war there in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The country immediately fell back into the hands of the Taliban, which has run the government since, but has been stifled by western sanctions. 

Qatar, which hosts a regional office for the Taliban that has allowed for contact with the US over the last two decades, referred to Afghanistan's leaders as a "caretaker government" in a statement released on Monday. It expressed condolences, but did not offer any assistance.