A powerful earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least 622 people and injuring more than 1,500, according to the Afghan interior ministry.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake hit at a shallow depth of just 8 kilometres, with its epicentre located 27 kilometres northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, near the border with Pakistan.
The tremor was felt across large parts of eastern Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan, sending residents fleeing from their homes in panic. Officials warned that the death toll is likely to rise as rescue operations continue in remote and mountainous areas, where many mud-brick houses collapsed under the force of the quake.
Relief efforts are being hindered by poor infrastructure and ongoing security challenges, which complicate the delivery of aid to the worst-affected districts. Afghanistan lies in a seismically active region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, making it highly vulnerable to devastating earthquakes.
The disaster adds further strain to a country already grappling with a fragile humanitarian situation, with international aid agencies expected to provide emergency assistance in the coming days.