Earthquake in Afghanistan: 622 Dead, 1,500 Injured

Published September 1, 2025 14:35

The magnitude 6 quake struck near Jalalabad on September 1, devastating villages and hampering rescue efforts in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces

Photo: Taliban fighters and civilians carry earthquake victims to an ambulance at Jalalabad Airport, Afghanistan, September 1, 2025. REUTERS

A magnitude 6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan overnight on September 1, killing 622 people and injuring more than 1,500, Reuters reports citing state broadcaster RTA.

The tremors were recorded at around 11:47 p.m. local time, with the epicenter near the city of Jalalabad, close to the border with Pakistan.

The provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar were hit hardest, where the quake destroyed entire villages.

Rescue operations are being hampered by the region’s mountainous terrain and weak infrastructure. Afghanistan lies in the seismically active Hindu Kush zone, which regularly experiences devastating earthquakes.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the United States has officially closed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed this week.