Death toll jumps over to 1,400 as earthquake devastates eastern Afghanistan

At least 3,251 people have been injured across the four eastern provinces, while the quake destroyed over 8,000 houses, and Afghan Red Crescent said many more were still trapped while the rescue operations are still going on.

The worst-hit Kunar province alone reported 1,411 deaths, with 3,124 injured, while 5,412 houses were destroyed.

The death toll could rise further when authorities share data from other three provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman, and Panjshir.

It is the third major earthquake to have hit a war-torn nation since the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in August 2021.

The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at 11.47 pm local time (1917GMT), located 27 kilometers (16.7 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad at a depth of 8 km (5 mi) on Sunday night, when most of the residents were asleep.

Kunar is the hardest-hit province, where the devastating earthquake destroyed several villages.

The spokesman for the interim Afghan administration in Kunar province, Abdul Ghani, told Anadolu that rescue and relief teams had already arrived in the affected areas, and the operation has continued since Monday.

"The death toll may rise as many people are still under the rubble," he said.

He added that dozens of houses were destroyed in the Nur Gal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapa Dara districts of the province.

The Afghan interim administration dispatched relief goods and medical teams in the area on Monday, and Ghani said more aid was on the way from Kabul.

Several nations, including neighboring Pakistan, Iran, China, and India, as well as Western nations, have pledged to send aid to Afghanistan.