Jalalabad: The death toll from a major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has passed 1,400, a Taliban government spokesman said Tuesday.
More than 3,000 people are injured, Zabihullah Mujahid said on social platform X.
The 6.0 magnitude quake struck late Sunday night in several provinces, causing extensive damage. It flattened villages and trapped people under the rubble of homes that were constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood and were unable to withstand the shock. Rough terrain is hampering rescue and relief efforts.
“We cannot afford to forget the people of Afghanistan who are facing multiple crises, multiple shocks, and the resilience of the communities has been saturated,” said Indrika Ratwatte, the U.N.’s resident coordinator for Afghanistan.
He urged the international community to step forward. “These are life and death decisions while we race against time to reach people.”
It is the third major earthquake since the Taliban seized power in 2021, and the latest crisis to beset Afghanistan, which is reeling from deep cuts to aid funding, a weak economy, and millions of people forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan.
