Deadly Afghanistan Earthquake Kills 1,400

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has risen to more than 1,400, a Taliban government spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.

Over 3,000 people were also injured, according to Zabihullah Mujahid, who shared the update on platform X.

Rescue teams are in a “race against time” to reach the remote and mountainous region struck by Sunday’s 6.0-magnitude quake, a UN official warned, adding that casualties could increase significantly. Entire villages were leveled, with many residents trapped beneath the rubble of mud-brick and wooden homes that were too fragile to withstand the tremor.

Difficult terrain continues to slow rescue and relief operations.

“We cannot afford to forget the Afghan people, who are facing multiple crises at once, and whose resilience is already stretched thin,” said Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s resident coordinator in Afghanistan. He appealed to the global community for urgent support, stressing: “These are life-or-death decisions while we race to reach survivors.”

This is the third major earthquake since the Taliban took power in 2021, adding to Afghanistan’s ongoing challenges of aid cuts, economic instability, and the forced return of millions of migrants from Iran and Pakistan.

Ratwatte explained that mud-and-wood homes collapse inward, with roofs crushing the occupants. The quake struck at night while most people were asleep, worsening the human toll.

“Based on previous disasters, the casualty rate is expected to rise sharply,” he noted.

The Taliban administration—recognized only by Russia—has called for international aid. Yet global support is limited amid competing crises, reduced donor budgets, and opposition to Taliban restrictions on women and girls, including a ban on their work with NGOs.

Earlier this year, the U.S. cut back assistance to Afghanistan, citing concerns that funds were being diverted to the Taliban government.