610 people dead and thousands others injured as 6.0 magnitude earthquake hits Eastern Afghanistan
Published by RawNews1st
As of September 1, 2025, at least 610 people are dead and thousands more are injured following a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.
The casualty figures have been reported by the Afghan Interior Ministry, and rescue operations are ongoing in the region.
The quake, at a shallow depth of 8km (6 miles), shook buildings from Kabul to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad – here’s what we know so far
The remote area where it struck makes providing accurate estimates hard, as officials warn of high casualty figures
Dozens of houses are “under rubble”, sources from the Taliban government say, while officials report entire villages being destroyed.
In a post on X, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Taliban run government, Zabihullah Mujahid, said: “Sadly, tonight’s earthquake has caused loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces. Local officials and residents are currently engaged in rescue efforts for the affected people.”
“Rescue operations are still underway there, and several villages have been completely destroyed. The figures for martyrs and injured are changing. Medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the ministry of public health.
He said many areas had not been able to report casualties figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” as death and injuries are reported.
Nearby Jalalabad is a bustling trade city due to its proximity with neighboring Pakistan and a key border crossing between the countries. Although it has a population of about 300,000 according to the municipality, it’s metropolitan area is thought to be far larger.
Most of its buildings are low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, and its outlying areas include homes built of mud bricks and wood. Many are of poor construction.
The U.N. gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
Note: Roughly 500,000 detectable earthquakes occur worldwide each year, but only about 100,000 of these are strong enough to be felt by people, and a much smaller number cause damage.
While most are too small to be noticed, the total number of earthquakes recorded has increased due to more sensitive seismic instruments. Major earthquakes, such as those with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher, are less common, averaging about 16 per year over the long term.
