▲ Earthquake Occurs Northeast of Jalalabad, Afghanistan
The death toll from the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has exceeded 800.
According to AFP and other foreign media outlets, it was reported that a magnitude 6 earthquake occurred near Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, at around 11:47 PM local time last night, resulting in over 800 deaths and approximately 2,500 injuries.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government, explained in a press conference held in Kabul that most casualties occurred in Kunar Province, which borders Pakistan.
Additionally, it was reported that in the nearby Nangarhar Province, 12 people died and 255 were injured.
However, as many people are trapped under collapsed buildings, the actual number of casualties is expected to increase.
Medical personnel and rescue teams have been dispatched urgently to the earthquake site from Kabul and other areas, and helicopters are being used to transport the injured to hospitals.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 34.51 degrees north latitude and 70.73 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 8 kilometers.
The region connecting Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India is where the Indian and Eurasian plates intersect, making it prone to frequent earthquakes.
In October 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake also occurred in Herat Province, western Afghanistan, killing around 2,000 people and resulting in a total of 4,500 casualties.
Particularly in eastern and northeastern Afghanistan, there are many poorly constructed mud-brick houses, and the unfavorable terrain results in significant casualties when large-scale earthquakes occur.
(Photo provided by the Weather Agency, AP, Yonhap News)