Afghanistan earthquake kills 622, more than 1,500 injured in Jalalabad
Tremors also felt in Pakistan, no major damage reported
DUBAI/KABUL – A magnitude 6 earthquake has killed at least 622 people and injured more than 1,500 others in eastern Afghanistan, authorities said on Monday.
The powerful tremor, which struck shortly before midnight on Sunday, flattened homes, destroyed villages, and left rescuers scrambling in the dark to reach survivors, Reuters reported.
The quake’s epicentre was near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan. The US Geological Survey reported the depth at 10 km (6 miles), classifying it as a shallow quake – a type known to cause more severe damage. Officials confirmed multiple aftershocks, ranging from 4.5 to 5.2 on the Richter scale, rattled the region overnight.
A 6.0 Magnitude Earthquake is recorded in Pakistan – Afghanistan Border at 23:17, 31/08/2025 "UAE time” According to the NCM “National Seismic Network”
— المركز الوطني للأرصاد (@ncmuae) August 31, 2025
Rescue efforts were complicated by the rugged, mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure. Authorities in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces said hundreds of injured were ferried to hospitals, while others were trapped under rubble. The Taliban-run Interior Ministry warned that the death toll was expected to rise as more reports came in from remote areas.
Rising toll
The Afghan Ministry of Public Health said at least three villages in Kunar were razed, with local officials confirming dozens of casualties in a single settlement. “Figures from just a few clinics show over 400 injured and dozens of fatalities,” spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said. He added that several health teams had been dispatched from Kabul, but reaching the most affected areas remained difficult.
❗️???????? - On August 31, 2025, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Kunar Province, Afghanistan, near Pakistan, killing at least 250 and injuring over 500, per Bakhtar News Agency.
— ????????The Informant (@theinformant_x) September 1, 2025
Centered 27 km east-northeast of Jalalabad at a shallow 8 km depth, the quake caused severe damage in… pic.twitter.com/CQABKwbOkv
Images and videos shared on social media showed helicopters airlifting the wounded and volunteers rushing stretchers through crowded hospital wards. Children were among those receiving urgent treatment, with doctors struggling to cope with the influx.
Cross-border impact
The tremors were also felt in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and in major cities including Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, though authorities reported no casualties or major damage there. Provincial officials in Punjab said inspections of buildings were underway to ensure structural safety.
Afghanistan’s vulnerability to earthquakes stems from its location at the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Hindu Kush mountain range has historically been the site of deadly quakes. In October 2023, tremors in Herat province killed over 2,400 people, most of them women and children.
Widespread devastation
Early estimates by the USGS PAGER system placed an orange alert for fatalities, warning of significant casualties and widespread destruction. Many Afghan homes, built of mud and stone, were unable to withstand the shaking. The Ministry of Interior said rescue operations were continuing, with soldiers and local residents joining forces to pull survivors from collapsed homes.
The UN in Afghanistan is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that struck the eastern region & claimed hundreds of lives, injuring many more. Our teams are on the ground, delivering emergency assistance & lifesaving support. Our thoughts are with the affected communities pic.twitter.com/rCE6b3WzSU
— UN Afghanistan (@unafghanistan) September 1, 2025
The Afghanistan Cricket Board issued a statement of solidarity, urging businessmen and wealthy citizens to contribute to relief efforts in Kunar and other eastern provinces. “In this time of immense grief, we consider ourselves united with all our people,” the board said.
Message of Sympathy and Condolences
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 1, 2025
The leadership of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, along with all the players and staff, express its deepest sorrow over the loss of lives and casualties caused by the severe earthquake in the eastern provinces, particularly in Kunar.
In this… pic.twitter.com/IOyBtvjeVV
So far, Afghan authorities reported that no foreign governments had offered support for rescue or relief operations.