UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Monday he stood in “full solidarity” with the people of Afghanistan after a powerful overnight earthquake killed hundreds and injured nearly 1,000 in the country’s east.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” Guterres wrote on X. He added that the UN team in Afghanistan “is mobilized and will spare no effort to assist those in need in the affected areas.”
The United Nations said earlier that its relief teams have already reached quake-hit districts in Kunar province, providing emergency supplies and life-saving support.
Authorities under the Taliban administration in Kunar said the death toll from the magnitude 6.0 earthquake had reached 500, with nearly 1,000 people injured across several districts, including Watapur, Manogai, Chapa Dara, Suki and Nurgal. Officials warned the numbers could rise as many residents remain trapped under rubble.
The tremor struck shortly after midnight near Asadabad, Kunar’s capital, at a depth of about 27 kilometers (17 miles). It was felt in Kabul, parts of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and as far as Islamabad. Aftershocks continued to shake the region.
