Afghanistan earthquake death toll rises to 622, over 1500 injured

The death toll from an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has risen to 622, with more than 1,500 injured, authorities said on Monday. Helicopters were carrying the wounded to safety as rescuers searched the rubble for survivors.

The 6-magnitude quake struck at midnight at a depth of 10 kilometres. The Afghan interior ministry said in a statement that 622 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured. Earlier, state-run broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) reported about 500 deaths.

In Kabul, health authorities said rescuers were racing to reach remote villages in an area known for frequent earthquakes and floods.

“Figures from just a few clinics show over 400 injured and dozens of fatalities,” ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said, adding that the number of casualties could rise.

The health ministry said three villages in Kunar province were completely destroyed, with heavy damage in many other areas.

Rescuers were working to find survivors in villages near the Pakistan border, where mud and stone homes collapsed during the quake.

The foreign office said no country had yet offered support for rescue or relief efforts.

Afghanistan is prone to deadly earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet. Last year, a series of earthquakes in the west killed more than 1,000 people.