KABUL, Afghanistan — The death toll from a 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31, 2025, has surged from an initial 150 to over 800, with more than 2,500 injured, primarily in Kunar Province where entire villages lie in ruins. Rescue teams, hampered by landslides and remote terrain, continue to airlift survivors from collapsed mud-brick homes, as Taliban officials warn the number could rise further. In Nangarhar Province, at least 12 deaths and 255 injuries were reported, underscoring the quake’s widespread impact near the Pakistan border.
The shallow quake, centered 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad at a depth of 8 kilometers, unleashed aftershocks up to 5.2 magnitude, exacerbating destruction in the Hindu Kush mountains. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the updated figures during a Kabul press conference on September 1, noting that 610 fatalities occurred in Kunar alone, where three villages were obliterated. Ambulances and helicopters have ferried hundreds to hospitals in Jalalabad, but blocked roads have left some areas inaccessible for over 24 hours.
Background: A Shallow Earthquake in a Seismic Hotspot
Eastern Afghanistan’s rugged landscape, dotted with fragile mud and brick structures, amplifies the devastation from such events. The quake hit at 11:47 p.m. local time, jolting residents from sleep and triggering landslides that buried roads under debris. Kunar’s Nurgal and Chapa Dara districts bore the brunt, with reports of up to 90% of homes destroyed in villages like Wadir and Mazar Dara. Heavy pre-quake rains saturated the soil, worsening the slides and complicating access for ground teams.
Rescue operations involve Taliban forces, local volunteers, and limited international support. The Afghan Ministry of Defense deployed helicopters for 40 evacuation flights to Nangarhar Regional Hospital, transporting 420 casualties. The Afghan Red Crescent Society provided emergency supplies, while volunteers in Jalalabad donated blood to overwhelmed facilities. Tremors were felt in neighboring Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, though no major damage was reported there.
Survivor Accounts: Voices from the Rubble
Survivors from Kunar’s devastated homes shared harrowing tales of loss and narrow escapes. Sadiqullah, a resident of Mazar Dara in Nurgal District, described being woken by a “deep boom like a storm” before his house collapsed. “I rescued three children but the room fell on me as I went back for the rest,” he said from Nangarhar Hospital. “I was half-buried for three to four hours until neighbors pulled me out. My wife and two sons are dead, and my father is injured beside me.”
Muhammad Aziz, a laborer from Nur Gul District, lost 10 relatives, including five children. “There is death in every home,” he told reporters amid the ruins. “Beneath each collapsed roof are bodies. The mud houses are gone, and destruction surrounds us. People are digging by hand, desperately seeking help.” In Piran village, Hameed Jan recounted walls cracking as he fled his bed. Another anonymous villager from Nurgal pleaded, “Children, elders, and youth are under the rubble. We need rescuers to join us—no one can remove the dead alone.” These accounts highlight the human cost in remote areas where families waited hours for aid.
Expert Analysis: Tectonic Forces and Aid Shortfalls
Seismologists attribute the quake’s severity to Afghanistan’s position along the Indian-Eurasian plate boundary, where thrust faulting drives frequent activity. “Shallow quakes like this release energy close to the surface, causing violent shaking in vulnerable structures,” said a U.S. Geological Survey representative. The Hindu Kush’s steep valleys and poor construction standards, common in impoverished Kunar, intensified the collapse of homes.
Humanitarian experts warn of compounded crises. Kate Carey, a U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs officer in Kabul, noted that recent rains and deportations from Pakistan and Iran—over 2 million returns—strained resources before the disaster. “Less than 30% of 2025 humanitarian needs were funded,” she said. Sherine Ibrahim, country director for the International Rescue Committee, urged donors to “set aside politics” amid Taliban restrictions. Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, echoed this, stating the quake “adds death and destruction to drought and forced returns.” Aid pledges include 1,000 tents and 15 tons of food from India, plus support from Iran, Japan, and the EU, but experts like Daniel Aldrich of Northeastern University’s Resilience Studies Program stress that governance and funding gaps could prolong recovery.
Broader Implications: A Nation on the Brink
For global observers, the quake exposes Afghanistan’s fragility, where half of 42 million people needed aid pre-disaster. Displaced thousands now face winter amid aftershocks and infections from untreated injuries. It risks regional refugee surges and underscores calls for unrestricted humanitarian access. As helicopters continue flights and villagers bury the dead in white shrouds, the event demands swift international response to avert further tragedy in this aid-starved nation.
FAQs
Initial reports cited 150 deaths, but updated Taliban figures on September 1 confirmed over 800, mainly in Kunar Province, as rescue teams reached more remote areas and assessed full damage.
Sadiqullah from Mazar Dara lost his wife and two sons while trapped for hours; Muhammad Aziz from Nur Gul lost 10 relatives, including five children, amid widespread village destruction.
Landslides, blocked roads, and steep terrain delay access; helicopters have evacuated hundreds, but many remote villages remain cut off, with aftershocks adding risks.
Sources:
AlJazeera
NYTimes
TheGuardian
