More than 800 killed after a strong earthquake struck Afghanistan

The survivors of an earthquake, which killed more than 800 people and wounded thousands in East Afghanistan, spent one night outdoors as rescue efforts continue.

Most of the deaths occurred in the Kunar mountain province, which was closest to the epicenter with a magnitude of 6.0 when it struck on Sunday night. Officials warn that the death number can increase significantly as whole villages have been destroyed.

Several countries have already promised help while some villages remain inaccessible and local healthcare facilities have been buried.

The disaster comes when Afghanistan cheers from a strong drought, reducing help, and what the world’s food program describes as an unprecedented hunger crisis.

The earthquake struck at 23:47 local time (19:47 GMT) on Sunday, about 27 km (17 miles) east of Jalalabad – the fifth largest city of the country, in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Faridula Fazli quickly fell asleep at home in Assadabad, on the banks of the Kunar River, when the tremor shook him awake.

“There was a very strong earthquake, accompanied by sounds that were very scary,” he told the BBC.

“We didn’t sleep until the morning. After the earthquake, there were small tremor and still.”

Fazli said he went to the clinic in the city, helping to transport the dead and was wounded in ambulances to be taken to a hospital south in the province of Nangarhar.

“It was a very scary situation, and an atmosphere of fear and terror,” he said.

Mazar Dara resident in the Nurgal region said 95% of the village had been destroyed – with five to 10 injured people in each household.

Kunar – a rough, mountain region with limited agricultural land – saw the height of the damage. The roads in the area are often muddy tracks, winding around the mountains, while the homes are made of clay, stones and mud.

There has also been huge floods and landslides in the region in the last few days, blocking access to many areas.

With blocked roads, government rescue operations had to be carried out by air, with helicopter teams reaching the affected areas on Monday morning.

“The whole villages are flattened, the roads to deep mountainous areas are still closed. So now for us the priority is not to be dead under the ruins, but to turn to the wounded more recently,” said a Taliban official in Kunar.

Cases of people trapped under the ruins for hours and die while expecting rescuers.

Syed Raheem – one of those involved in rescue efforts – said that although many were saved, there are fears that others are still trapped.

“Some people have sent us messages that there are houses that have been destroyed, and some people are still under the rocks,” he told the BBC.

The peasants in the mountain have been Helping each other to search for dead and wounded Among the flattened buildings.

Joy Singhal, a regional Red Cross spokesman, told Al Jazeera that the survivors would be scared to get into their homes, even if they were still standing because of fears of afters, adding that the number of tents in the region was insufficient.

A number of nations – including China, India, the United Kingdom and Switzerland – promised donations for help. The UK’s emergency funding will “help our partners provide critical health and emergency deliveries to the most affected,” said Foreign Secretary David Lamie.

Jalalabad’s main hospital is buried, sitting right at the center of the intersection, as tens of thousands of Afghans are deported by the bordering Pakistan.

It was the place of chaotic scenes on Monday – with injured, helpless relatives looking for their loved ones, volunteers and rescue teams still moving around the place.

An immediate woman said she had lost family members in the earthquake while the old man seemed dizzy and lost, unable to talk to anyone.

A doctor said about 460 casualties were brought after the earthquake – 250 recognized, the rest treated and discarded.

Internet connectivity in these areas is very limited, which impedes communication and coordination.

Since August 2021, Afghanistan has been under the control of the Taliban, whose government has been recognized only by Russia.

Several help agencies and non -governmental organizations have stopped working in Afghanistan when the solid Islamist group returned to power.

Most foreign donations in Afghanistan have also been terminated by international sanctions that date from when the Taliban was in power in the 90s, they are still available – although releases for humanitarian relief have been made.

The UK financing will be directed to the UN and the Red Cross population.

Afghanistan is not unknown to earthquakes as it sits on a number of lines of the fault.

In 2023, a series of earthquakes in Herat province killed more than 1,000 people after about 2000 were killed in Pactica province a year before.

The last earthquake was so deadly because it was so shallow – striking at a depth of 8 km (5 miles) – and was felt 140 km in the capital Kabul, as well as in the neighboring Pakistan. In order to be classified as a braid, an earthquake must appear below 70 km below the surface.

Shallow earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, especially at the foot of the Himalayas, where tectonic plates slide along another.