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Devastating Earthquake Strikes Eastern Afghanistan

Kabul, September 1: The recent earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has resulted in a tragic death toll of 622, with injuries exceeding 1,000, as reported by the state-run Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) on Monday.

Rescue operations are currently underway in remote regions where communication is limited, as teams work to evaluate the damage and deliver necessary aid. Officials have indicated that the reported figures are preliminary and may rise as efforts continue.

The earthquake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, struck at 11:47 p.m. local time on August 31, with its epicenter located 27 kilometers deep, according to the US Geological Survey, as cited by Xinhua news agency.

Afghanistan's geographical position makes it particularly susceptible to seismic activity, lying atop several fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge. The mountainous landscape of eastern Afghanistan also increases the risk of landslides, complicating rescue operations.

Last year, a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan resulted in over 1,000 fatalities, highlighting the country's vulnerability to natural disasters, especially given its status as one of the poorest nations globally.

Earlier this year, on October 7, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake, accompanied by significant aftershocks, struck Afghanistan, leading the Taliban government to estimate at least 4,000 deaths. This event marked one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Afghan history.

According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over the past decade, earthquakes have claimed more than 7,000 lives in Afghanistan, averaging around 560 deaths annually.

A devastating earthquake in May 1998 in the Takhar and Badakhshan provinces resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths, with nearly 100 villages and 16,000 homes either destroyed or damaged, leaving 45,000 individuals homeless.