Entire Villages Flattened as Rescue Efforts Struggle to Reach Remote Survivors Amid Aftershocks and Rising Death Toll
A midnight tremor in Afghanistan’s mountainous east turned into a nightmare—flattened homes, shattered lives, and hope, all within seconds. On Sunday night, August 31, a powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near Jalalabad, devastating remote communities in Kunar Province and parts of Nangarhar, Laghman, and Nuristan.
Catastrophe in Numbers
Taliban officials reported at least 800 deaths and 1,300 injuries, though several sources—including AP and Xinhua—place the injured at 2,500 to 2,800.
Entire villages were flattened, with many casualties buried beneath collapsing mud-brick and wood homes. In Asadabad hospital, Dr. Muladad, the provincial chief, described the crisis—“patients arriving every five minutes” and medical services overwhelmed.
Rescue in the Shadows
Helicopters are trying to reach remote villages hampered by landslides, broken roads, and collapsing infrastructure. Officials warn the death toll may climb as teams continue to comb through rubble—and aftershocks rumble through the night.
The Human Toll
Survivors describe chilling scenes: “Children under rubble, the elderly under rubble… We need help… to pull out the dead.” In Nurgal district, one man’s haunting plea echoed through radio reports: “There is no one here to remove dead bodies from under the rubble”.
Humanitarian Response
Countries and organizations are mobilizing support:
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres pledged solidarity and urged immediate relief.
- Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences and promised assistance.
- Inside Afghanistan, volunteers are donating blood; the Taliban government has dispatched helicopters, medical teams, and supplies. The UN and Iranian officials also responded, sending aid convoys and relief pledges.
Fragile Ground, Fragile Infrastructure
With shallow quakes more destructive, shallow depth (≈8 km) made this disaster especially lethal. Rural Afghan homes, often made of mud and stone, lacked earthquake resilience. Rugged terrain slowed every rescue, every delivery.
Afghanistan’s Troubled Pattern
This quake follows a devastating 2023 Herat earthquake and a deadly 2022 tremor—highlighting the country’s extreme vulnerability. Drought, homelessness, displaced populations, and scant humanitarian funding make recovery as urgent as it is daunting.
In Retrospect
This earthquake didn’t just shake the ground, it shook the soul of Afghanistan. Remote villagers are now homeless, hospitals are crumbling under the surge, and rescue crews race against time and terrain. With the country already in crisis, this disaster calls not just for sympathy but swift, sustained action.
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