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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Rescuers scramble to reach victims after hundreds killed as earthquake
rocks eastern Afghanistan
By Masoud Popalzai, Billy Stockwell, Helen Regan, Char Reck, and Sana
Noor Haq, CNN
Updated:
11:30 AM EDT, Mon September 1, 2025
Source: CNN
A huge earthquake ripped through eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing
hundreds of people and setting off a mammoth rescue operation along a
mountainous stretch of provinces where communities already face hunger
and economic crises.
At least 800 people were killed and more than 2,800 others injured
after the 6.0-magnitude quake hit towns and villages close to the
Pakistan border, according to Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah
Mujahid.
Three villages were razed in Kunar province alone, Reuters reported,
citing local authorities.
The quake hit just before midnight, 27 kilometers (16.77 miles)
north-east of Jalalabad, a city of about 200,000 people in Nangarhar
Province, and at a comparatively shallow depth of 8km (4.97 miles),
according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Military rescue teams deployed 40 flights carrying 420 wounded and dead
people over the eastern Afghan provinces near Pakistan, .
‘I was half-buried’
Photos from the aftermath showed rows of brick houses swept under muddy
debris, as residents clambered over huge piles of fallen concrete.
Relief teams struggled to access quake-stricken areas buried by
landslides and destroyed roads, state news media reported.
Eyewitness recalled fumbling for loved ones stuck under collapsed
homes, as they waited hours for emergency workers to reach the
worst-affected regions, according to the .
“I was half-buried and unable to get out,” Sadiqullah, a resident
of Nurgal, in the Kunar province, told AP. His wife and two sons had
been killed, he added.
Videos obtained by CNN show men digging with shovels to search for
survivors under the rubble in Kunar province. Others showed chaotic
scenes as officials worked to stretcher the wounded onto helicopters to
be airlifted to hospital.
Nearly half a million people likely felt strong to very strong shaking,
which can result in considerable damage to poorly built structures,
according to the USGS.
Ahmad Zameer, 41, a resident in Kabul, told CNN the earthquake was
strong and jolted his neighborhood more than 100 miles from the
epicenter. He added that everyone from the nearby apartment buildings
rushed to the street in fear of being trapped inside.
“Unfortunately, tonight’s earthquake has had human casualties and
financial damages in some of our eastern provinces,” Mujahid, the
government spokesperson, posted on X.
“Right now, local officials and residents are making all the efforts
to rescue affected ones. Support teams from the capital and nearby
provinces are also on their way. All available resources will be used
for the rescue and relief of the people,” he added.
The earthquake was also felt in several cities in neighboring
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, the Pakistan
Meteorological Department said in a statement.
The region was hit by at least five aftershocks, the strongest
measuring 5.2-magnitude in the hours after the initial quake, according
to USGS.
The United Nations in Afghanistan said it was “deeply saddened by the
devastating earthquake that struck the eastern region and claimed
hundreds of lives,” adding that its teams are delivering emergency
assistance on the ground.
Impact of global funding cuts
The war-ravaged nation is in the throes of a humanitarian crisis that
has only worsened after the Taliban seized power in 2021 following a
chaotic United States withdrawal, which saw many international aid
groups pull out of the country.
Earlier , the White House halted more than $1.7 billion worth of
supporting dozens of programs in Afghanistan, further among the Afghan
people. The United Kingdom, France and Germany swiftly .
That aid deficit has crunched response and recovery to natural
disasters in Afghanistan – a country that often experiences seismic
activity.
Following the earthquake on Sunday, one senior rights official warned
the humanitarian needs will far outweigh those of the powerful 6.3
magnitude , when more than 2,000 people were killed.
“We are profoundly fearful for the additional strain that this
disaster will have on the overall humanitarian response in
Afghanistan,” Sherine Ibrahim, the International Rescue Committee
(IRC) country director for Afghanistan, said in a statement.
“Global funding cuts have dramatically hampered our ability to
respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” added
Ibrahim. “It is high time that the international community recognises
the immense need in the country and steps up support for Afghans who
are in critical need.”
Moreover, the logistical challenges of trying to reach remote and rural
neighborhoods and villages that were destroyed by recent floods would
further hamper efforts, Afghan officials and rights advocates warned.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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