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Preliminary estimates suggest a rising death toll and substantial damage across the mountainous areas of eastern Afghanistan, as per sources.
Published On 1 September 2025
A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake has hit eastern Afghanistan, with initial accounts mentioning at least 10 fatalities and 20 injured individuals, according to various sources.
The quake struck the Kunar and Nangahar provinces at roughly midnight local time on Monday, with witnesses to Al Jazeera reporting extensive damage throughout several mountainous districts.
Sources indicate that the death toll is provisional and is expected to increase as investigations proceed.
The United States Geological Survey reported that the 6.0 magnitude seismic event was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east of Jalalabad in Nangahar province and occurred at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles).
Shortly afterward, another quake of 4.5 magnitude was recorded close to Basawul in Nangahar.
Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Lahore, Pakistan, highlighted that the effects of the earthquake were felt across a wide area in neighboring Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.
“Reports coming in from Kunar suggest entirety of some villages have been demolished, with people trapped under debris, as rescue efforts are in progress. The mountain terrain and the shallow nature of this quake could imply a more severe impact,” he said.
“This region is earthquake-prone. Kunar is adjacent to Badakshan, a seismic zone, and there are regular quakes that also reverberate into Pakistan. Usually, these quakes are quite deep, thus causing limited damage,” he added.
The quake struck the Kunar and Nangahar provinces at roughly midnight local time on Monday, with witnesses to Al Jazeera reporting extensive damage throughout several mountainous districts.
Sources indicate that the death toll is provisional and is expected to increase as investigations proceed.
The United States Geological Survey reported that the 6.0 magnitude seismic event was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east of Jalalabad in Nangahar province and occurred at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles).
Shortly afterward, another quake of 4.5 magnitude was recorded close to Basawul in Nangahar.
Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Lahore, Pakistan, highlighted that the effects of the earthquake were felt across a wide area in neighboring Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.
“Reports coming in from Kunar suggest entirety of some villages have been demolished, with people trapped under debris, as rescue efforts are in progress. The mountain terrain and the shallow nature of this quake could imply a more severe impact,” he said.
“This region is earthquake-prone. Kunar is adjacent to Badakshan, a seismic zone, and there are regular quakes that also reverberate into Pakistan. Usually, these quakes are quite deep, thus causing limited damage,” he added.
