Earthquake in Afghanistan

A powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border late on 31 August 2025. Its epicentre was located in Kuz Kunar District of Kunar province at a shallow depth of approximately 8–10 kilometres. The disaster left at least 800 people dead and more than 2,800 injured. Most casualties were reported in Kunar, with additional losses in Nangarhar, and many villages were completely destroyed.

Landslides and blocked roads hampered rescue efforts, although helicopters evacuated hundreds of victims. Numerous flights transported the wounded and the deceased to hospitals. The region also experienced several aftershocks, including two measuring magnitude 5.2, which further complicated recovery operations. Local volunteers and government forces joined the rescue response, while the United Nations, Iran, and China pledged humanitarian assistance.

The disaster underscored Afghanistan’s vulnerability due to fragile housing, mountainous terrain, and poor infrastructure. It became one of the deadliest earthquakes in the country since the major quakes in Herat in 2023 and Paktika in 2022.