The Afghan Red Crescent Society said Tuesday the death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan has risen to 1,124, with at least 3,251 others injured.
The humanitarian agency said more than 8,000 homes were destroyed when the 6.1-magnitude quake hit Kunar province late Sunday. Many people remain trapped under collapsed buildings, and rescue operations are ongoing.
The Red Crescent did not specify casualty figures by province. Earlier, Taliban officials said 800 people were dead in Kunar and 2,500 more were wounded. In Kunar, the districts of Nurgal, Sawkay, Watapur and Manogai have been affected the most.
Smaller numbers of casualties were also reported in Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan, with some property damage in Panjshir.
Hospitals in Kunar have been overwhelmed, with survivors describing scenes of mass burials and children spending the night in the open after their homes were destroyed. Taliban authorities said helicopters were being used to evacuate the wounded from remote areas.
The earthquake struck just after midnight near Asadabad in Kunar at a depth of about 27 kilometers (17 miles). It was felt in Kabul and across the border in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The disaster comes as Afghanistan faces deep economic isolation and limited international aid under Taliban rule, leaving local communities heavily reliant on domestic charities such as the Red Crescent for immediate relief.
