A series of strong aftershocks from a deadly earthquake that hit eastern Afghanistan over the weekend injured at least another 10 people and caused further damage, Taliban authorities said on Friday.
Five shallow aftershocks, the strongest measuring at magnitude 5.6, were recorded by the US Geological Survey on Thursday night and Friday morning, with some rattling Kabul and the Pakistan capital, Islamabad.
National disaster authority spokesman Mohammad Hammad told AFP 10 people were injured across eight provinces jolted by the aftershocks, including the hardest hit Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman, adding to the more than 3,700 already injured in the initial quake.
More than 2,200 people were killed after the magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan just before midnight on Sunday, making it the deadliest quake to hit the country in decades.
In Nuristan province, north of Kunar, resident Enamullah Safi said he and others ran out of their homes when the aftershocks hit overnight.
“Everyone was afraid. We are still afraid and have not returned to our homes,” the 25-year-old cook told AFP, saying he huddled under a blanket with several other people to keep warm in the cold, mountain night.
Some houses were damaged or destroyed he said, adding that they have received little assistance, as aid is concentrated in the worst-hit zones.
Access has been stymied by already poor roads blocked by landslides and rockfall that continued as the area was convulsed by aftershocks.
The disaster comes as Afghanistan is already facing multiple crises after decades of conflict, contending with endemic poverty, severe drought, and the influx of millions of Afghans forced back to the country by neighbours Pakistan and Iran since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover.
Afghanistan is among the most seismically active regions in Asia, sitting near the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country frequently experiences destructive earthquakes, with remote mountainous areas particularly vulnerable due to fragile infrastructure and poor access to emergency services.
The latest magnitude-6.0 quake, which struck late Sunday, is the deadliest in Afghanistan in decades, surpassing the 2023 Herat earthquakes that killed over 2,000 people. Eastern provinces like Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman are particularly at risk because many homes are built with mud-brick structures that easily collapse under seismic stress.
International aid organisations, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Red Crescent, and NGOs, have begun delivering relief supplies, though response efforts are hampered by blocked roads, landslides, and limited resources. The Taliban-led government has appealed for urgent international assistance as survivors face harsh conditions, food shortages, and exposure to cold nights.
AFP
