Death Toll from Eastern Afghanistan Earthquake Exceeds 800; Many Bodies Still Trapped Under Rubble

Photo: AP

Hours after last night’s deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, the death toll has risen to more than 800, with over 2,500 injured. The highest number of casualties has been reported from Kunar province, where in one area alone hundreds of people were killed under the rubble.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, said at a press conference that in Nangarhar province 12 people were killed and 255 injured. He added that in Laghman 85 people were injured, and in Nuristan 4 people were injured.

However, most of the fatalities have been recorded in Kunar. Mujahid said that rescue teams have not yet been able to reach many parts of the province by road, and therefore exact figures are not yet available.

Local sources have described the situation in Kunar as “catastrophic.” According to them, many bodies are still trapped under the rubble, and people have been working since early morning to recover and bury the dead. Other sources said that due to the high number of deaths, burial shrouds have run out in local markets, prompting the Taliban to airlift burial cloths from Nangarhar. However, sources criticized that instead of shrouds, medicine, food, and rescue teams should have been sent.

Eyewitnesses also reported a death toll far higher than the official figures, saying that hundreds of bodies remain under the rubble. They stressed that people are searching and burying the dead with their bare hands.