Death Toll From Afghan Quake Tops 2,200 As Rescuers Retrieve More Bodies

Rescuers in Afghanistan continued on Thursday to retrieve bodies from the rubble of collapsed homes after a powerful earthquake and aftershocks devastated eastern provinces, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring thousands.

Taliban officials said at least 2,205 people have died, with over 3,700 injured, while warning the numbers could rise further as recovery teams reach remote villages cut off by landslides and rockfalls. Entire communities in Kunar and surrounding provinces have been flattened, leaving survivors to dig through debris with their bare hands in search of relatives.

Humanitarian agencies described the situation as a “crisis within a crisis,” warning that food, shelter, and medical supplies are running dangerously low.

“The needs are massive and immediate,” a UN relief coordinator said, noting that Afghanistan’s already fragile health system is overwhelmed.

Difficult terrain has slowed rescue efforts. Aftershocks and blocked mountain roads have made access nearly impossible in some areas, forcing authorities to air-drop commandos and supplies by helicopter to isolated districts.

Volunteers, many using simple tools, have joined official teams in pulling bodies from collapsed structures.

International aid agencies, including the World Health Organization and World Food Programme, have appealed for urgent funding, cautioning that resources to sustain emergency relief are close to exhaustion.

The quake, measured at magnitude 6.0 with a 5.5 aftershock, struck on Sunday, destroying thousands of homes and displacing tens of thousands of people. It is one of the deadliest natural disasters Afghanistan has faced in recent years, compounding the country’s humanitarian crisis.