Death toll from Afghanistan quake rises above 2,200 as new tremor hits region

The death toll from Sunday’s earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has risen to 2,205, with more than 3,600 others injured, according to Taliban officials and the United Nations. A new earthquake struck the same region, killing one person and causing additional damage.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government, confirmed the death toll and said at least 3,640 people have been injured. He said hundreds of bodies have been recovered from destroyed houses in the region and that search and rescue operations are still underway.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more than 84,000 people have been affected, with at least 6,700 homes destroyed. Roads, bridges, and dozens of water sources have also been damaged, worsening water shortages already strained by recent flooding and heavy rains.

Hours after the updated toll was announced, a new earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Thursday night.

According to Amu TV, the 5.6-magnitude quake killed one person and injured at least 22 others in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. At least 30 houses were reported destroyed, and landslides blocked key roads linking the two provinces.

The initial 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit on Sunday night in the Hindu Kush region near the border with Pakistan, flattening towns and mountain villages across the area. It is one of the deadliest quakes in Afghanistan since October 2023, when a series of tremors in Herat province killed more than 2,400 people.