On September 1, 2025, a magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan’s Kunar province, leaving hundreds feared dead and injured. Rescuers are searching through rubble for survivors, as reported by Reuters. The quake, centred in the rugged Hindu Kush mountains, adds to Afghanistan’s history of devastating natural disasters.
The quake struck at midnight, with its epicentre located 10 kilometres deep near the Pakistan border, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC). Early reports confirm 30 deaths in one village, but the health ministry expects higher numbers due to Kunar’s remote hamlets. Health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman noted, “Our teams are still on site, but the area is hard to reach.” Hundreds of injured people reached hospitals, per provincial information head Najibullah Hanif.
#AfghanistanEarthquake: Afghan official Bakhtar news agency has reported that Around 250 people have been killed and 500 others injured in the earthquake that struck the districts of Nurgal, Sawki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapa Dara in #Kunar province last night. Officials say these… pic.twitter.com/KspP2lD2qG
— Tahir Khan (@taahir_khan) September 1, 20256.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Pakistan and Afghanistan, Killing Nine
Rescuers work tirelessly in Kunar’s mountainous districts, where mud and stone homes collapsed. For instance, teams face challenges due to limited road access and slower progress. Authorities report no major damage in Pakistan, but tremors were felt in Islamabad and Lahore. The NSMC recorded a 4.6-magnitude aftershock at 12:38 a.m., urging residents to remain cautious and avoid weak structures.
Afghanistan’s Vulnerability
Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, often faces earthquakes. A 6.3 magnitude quake in 2023 killed over 1,000 in western Afghanistan. Kunar’s rugged terrain and poor infrastructure worsen the impact, with 80% of homes vulnerable to collapse. The quake follows floods that displaced thousands in Nangarhar, compounding the crisis.
In Nangarhar, nine people died and 25 were injured, per health official Ajmal Darwaish. The quake’s effects reached Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but no casualties were reported there. The shallow depth amplified damage, levelling homes near Jalalabad, 27kilometress from the epicentre. Rescue helicopters airlifted the injured, but landslides blocked roads.
