At least 600 people died and nearly 1,500 were injured in the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan, state broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) reported Monday, September 1st.
The earthquake hit Kunar (northeast) and Nangarhar (southeast) provinces in particular, flattening entire villages, and rescue teams have been searching for survivors in the last hours in the rubble of houses.
The epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 23.47 local time (22.17 GMT) at a shallow depth -8 kilometres- was located 42 kilometres from Jalalabad, according to an estimate by the US Geological Survey (USGS). The German Geosciences Research Centre (GFZ) also estimated the magnitude of the earthquake to be 6 degrees and the focal depth to be slightly greater at 10 kilometres.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Health clarifies that data remains to be gathered from other sectors in the region, where there are many remote communities and a history of devastating earthquakes and floods, to provide a clearer picture of the scale of the tragedy.
Hundreds of injured were taken to hospitals, a provincial authorities spokesman informed earlier.
Afghanistan is frequently hit by strong earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near which the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates intersect underground.
