Afghanistan earthquake death toll rises to more than 1,400

The death toll from Saturday’s earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has climbed to over 1,400, with more than 3,000 others injured, according to Taliban officials.

Hamdullah Fitrat, a spokesman for the Taliban government, said Tuesday that the earthquake left 1,411 people dead and 3,124 injured. He said the worst-affected areas were in Kunar province, including the capital, Asadabad.

Fitrat said at least 5,412 houses were destroyed and that rescue operations are ongoing, with injured residents being airlifted from remote mountain valleys. Earlier reports indicated that several towns were completely leveled.

A man in Sawki district told TOLOnews that 35 members of his family were killed when his home collapsed, while another resident said he returned from Jalalabad to find his house destroyed and nearly all of his relatives dead.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.0-magnitude quake struck late Saturday in the Hindu Kush region near the border with Pakistan at a depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers). Tremors were felt across a wide region, including Pakistan and India.

Afghanistan has suffered repeated deadly earthquakes in recent years. In 2023, a series of quakes in Herat province killed more than 2,400 people and displaced tens of thousands.