Post by : Raman

Kabul, Sept 1, 2025 – A powerful earthquake measuring 6.0 magnitude struck Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunar province shortly after midnight, causing widespread destruction, fear, and heavy loss of life. Entire villages in the mountainous region have been shaken to the ground, leaving families homeless, injured, and searching desperately for loved ones.

A Night of Horror in the Mountains

When the quake hit at around midnight, most people in the region were asleep in their homes, which are often built from mud, stone, and wood. Within seconds, walls crumbled and roofs collapsed, trapping men, women, and children under heavy debris. Survivors describe hearing terrifying roars from the earth, followed by cries for help in the darkness.

Many villagers rushed outside with whatever they could carry, only to find their neighbors’ houses destroyed. With no electricity in several areas, rescue efforts began under the dim light of lanterns and mobile phones. “We heard the ground shake like thunder. The walls fell around us, and we ran barefoot into the fields,” said one survivor from the Chawkay district.

Official Casualties Still Rising

The Afghan Health Ministry initially reported at least 30 deaths in a single village, but officials fear that the toll will rise much higher. Hundreds of injured people have already been shifted to hospitals in Kunar and neighboring provinces. However, many are still trapped under collapsed houses in remote hamlets, where roads have been blocked by landslides.

“The number of deaths and injuries is very high, but since the area is far away and not easy to reach, our teams are still trying to confirm the full figures,” explained Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman.

Najibullah Hanif, head of information for Kunar province, added that local hospitals are already overwhelmed with patients, and more medical staff are being sent to assist. “We have received hundreds of injured so far, and more are coming every hour,” he said.

Remote Villages Cut Off

Kunar province is known for its rugged mountains and scattered villages. Many of these communities are located in valleys with poor road connections. The earthquake, which struck at a shallow depth of 10 km (6 miles), destroyed narrow dirt roads, making it extremely difficult for rescuers to reach the worst-hit places.

Aid workers and government rescue teams have been sent to different districts, but in many cases they are forced to travel on foot, carrying stretchers and first-aid supplies through rocky paths. Helicopters have also been deployed to drop food, medicine, and tents to isolated areas.

Families Left Without Shelter

The quake flattened mud-brick homes, which cannot withstand strong tremors. In several districts, whole clusters of houses collapsed at once, leaving families without shelter. Many survivors are now sleeping in open fields, fearful of aftershocks. Mothers are trying to comfort their children in the cold night air, while elders mourn the loss of entire households.

“We have lost everything. My house is gone, my livestock are gone, and I don’t know if my brother is alive under the rubble,” said Ahmad Shah, a farmer from Khas Kunar district.

Search for Survivors

Rescue teams are racing against time to find survivors buried under the ruins. Villagers are also digging with bare hands, shovels, and whatever tools they can find. The cries of trapped victims can still be heard in some places. However, without proper machinery, the pace of rescue work remains slow.

Emergency responders have requested heavy equipment, but moving such machines into narrow mountain valleys remains a huge challenge.

Border Areas with Pakistan Also Shaken

The quake’s epicenter was close to the border with Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Strong tremors were felt across the border, causing panic in Pakistani towns and villages as well. Many residents rushed outdoors, fearing buildings would collapse. Pakistani authorities are also monitoring the damage on their side, though no major casualties have yet been reported.

History of Deadly Earthquakes in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes because it lies on a major geological fault line where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. The Hindu Kush mountain range, which stretches across northeastern Afghanistan, regularly experiences strong tremors.

Last year, a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan killed over 1,000 people, leaving entire districts flattened. In 2015, a 7.5 magnitude quake struck the Hindu Kush region, killing hundreds in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Such disasters highlight the vulnerability of the country, where most people live in poorly constructed houses and where emergency response systems remain weak.

A Country Struggling With Poverty

This tragedy comes at a time when Afghanistan is already facing severe economic hardship. The country has been struggling with poverty, lack of infrastructure, and limited healthcare facilities. Many hospitals in rural areas lack medicines, doctors, and equipment, making it difficult to treat large numbers of injured people.

Humanitarian groups have raised concerns that without immediate international support, survivors of the earthquake will face hunger, disease, and further suffering in the coming days.

Calls for Emergency Aid

The Afghan government has appealed for urgent help, both from within the country and from international aid agencies. Relief organizations are preparing to send food, clean water, tents, and medical supplies to the affected districts. “We urgently need shelter materials and medicines. People are sitting in the open with no protection,” said a local aid worker.

Survivors’ Struggles

For many families, the loss goes beyond homes and belongings. Entire families have been wiped out in some villages. Survivors are left grieving while also trying to care for injured relatives. Children have been separated from parents, while many parents are searching desperately for missing children.

In makeshift camps set up in open fields, women are cooking with whatever food they managed to save, while men search for firewood to keep warm at night. Some survivors have complained that aid is too slow to arrive.

International Reactions

Neighboring countries and global humanitarian organizations have expressed sympathy and pledged support. Pakistan has offered assistance in rescue operations, while the United Nations has said it is closely monitoring the situation. Relief groups are urging quick action before cold weather worsens conditions in the mountainous region.

Long-Term Challenges

Even after rescue and relief operations are completed, rebuilding the destroyed villages will be a long and difficult process. Most families in Kunar depend on farming and livestock for survival. With homes, food stocks, and animals destroyed, their recovery will take years.

Experts also warn that Afghanistan must improve its disaster preparedness. Stronger housing, better infrastructure, and trained emergency teams are urgently needed to reduce losses in future earthquakes. But with the country’s economy in crisis, such improvements remain uncertain.

Voices From the Ground

Eyewitness accounts highlight the human suffering behind the statistics:

• “I lost my wife and two daughters. I pulled my son out of the rubble with my hands. He is injured, but alive,” said Gul Rahman, a resident of Marawara district.

• “We are sleeping outside. The children are crying from fear. We have no blankets, no food,” said Fatima, a mother of four.

• “We need urgent help. The wounded are dying because we don’t have enough doctors or medicine,” said a nurse at Kunar’s provincial hospital.

The earthquake in Afghanistan’s Kunar province is one of the deadliest disasters the country has faced in recent years. With hundreds feared dead, thousands injured, and countless families left homeless, the tragedy has once again shown how fragile life is in a land already burdened by conflict and poverty.

Rescue teams continue to search for survivors, but time is running out. As Afghanistan mourns its dead, the world watches to see how much support will reach those in need and whether this disaster will finally bring long-term changes to help the country withstand future natural calamities.