A magnitude-6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday night, producing powerful tremors that collapsed mud-built homes across mountainous Kunar. Many residents were sleeping when the quake hit, burying families and sweeping away entire dwellings in poverty-stricken villages. Local villagers mounted rescue efforts, freeing survivors after hours under rubble, but numerous households were razed and multiple family members killed. Official reports recorded about 800 deaths and more than 2,500 injuries with expectations of higher numbers and many people still unaccounted for. Hospitals declared emergencies and relief faces access challenges despite helicopter deployments.
I jumped out of bed and rushed to where my children and parents were sleeping, said Jan. I managed to rescue two of my children and brought them outside to safety. I went back inside to save my younger siblings, but as I did, the roof and walls collapsed around me.
As the magnitude-6 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday night, Jan found himself buried in the rubble of his own house. As much as he tried to claw at the debris, he struggled to push his head through the wreckage. It took local villagers five hours to finally free him.
When he finally broke through, he was greeted with scenes of tragedy and devastation. His wife, two sons and two brothers were among those killed when the powerful earthquake struck, razing entire villages across the region to the ground.
While the official death toll stood at 800 on Monday evening, with more than 2,500 injured, it was widely expected to rise significantly. Many in the villages of Kunar remained unaccounted for and rescuers continued to pull bodies from the rubble as all local hospitals declared a state of emergency.
Collection
[
|
...
]