Afghan earthquake death toll jumps to more than 2,200, say Taliban

"Hundreds more bodies have been recovered from houses in mountain villages destroyed by a major earthquake in Afghanistan early this week, pushing the death toll to more than 2,200, a Taliban government spokesperson said Thursday. The shallow, magnitude-6.0 quake struck the mountainous and remote eastern part of the country late on Sunday, levelling villages and trapping people under rubble. Most of the casualties have been in Kunar province, where people typically live in wood and mud-brick houses along steep river valleys separated by high mountains."

"Muhammad Israel said the quake unleashed a landslide that buried his home, livestock and belongings in Kunar. All the rocks came down from the mountain, he said. I barely got my children out of there The earthquake jolts are still happening. It is impossible to live there. He was staying at a UN medical camp in Nurgal, one of the worst-affected districts. The situation is also bad for us here, we don't have shelter and are living under open skies, he said."

A shallow magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck remote eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, leveling mountain villages and causing widespread landslides. Casualties have exceeded 2,200, with most deaths concentrated in Kunar province where wood and mud-brick homes line steep river valleys. About 98% of buildings in the province were damaged or destroyed. Survivors are displaced, living under open skies, and continuing aftershocks make return impossible. Relief operations face severe challenges from rough terrain, blocked roads and reduced humanitarian staffing and supplies; helicopters and airdrops have been deployed and tents and emergency supplies are being distributed while search and rescue continues.

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