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Afghanistan searches for survivors as death from massive quake tops 1,100

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 September 2025 10:53 AM

The death toll from a recent earthquake in Afghanistan has reached 1,124, the Afghan Red Crescent Society says as rescue teams continue to scour the country's mountainous east for survivors.

At least 3,251 people have been injured and more than 8,000 houses destroyed in the disaster, the group said.

The 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit several provinces late Sunday night. It destroyed villages, trapping people beneath the rubble of their homes, which were primarily built from vulnerable mud bricks and wood.

According to a spokesman for Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority, the figures "may change significantly" as the injured are being evacuated.

"The earthquake caused landslides in some areas, blocking roads, but they have been reopened, and the remaining roads will be reopened to allow access to areas that were difficult to reach," he added.

The highest number of casualties was concentrated in Kunar province, a region characterized by steep river valleys and high mountains that isolate communities.

In response to the compromised infrastructure, helicopters are evacuating casualties for medical care, and relief agencies report that their personnel are resorting to foot travel to access the hardest-hit, most inaccessible areas.

Amid the devastation, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian sent a message of condolence to the Afghan people and government. Describing Afghanistan as a "brotherly country," Pezeshkian expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and injuries caused by the quake.

Foreign Minister Abbas Arachchi also described the tragedy as "deeply saddening", stressing Iran's "full readiness to send emergency, medical, and humanitarian aid" to support Afghan recovery efforts.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society announced it was prepared to dispatch rescue and medical teams, with its president Pir Hossein Kolivand saying the center "stands ready to send aid teams as soon as requested".

It is the third major earthquake since the Taliban retook power in 2021, and the latest crisis to beset Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have called for international help for the war-ravaged country that was already grappling with food shortages and cuts to foreign aid.

Mark Calder, advocacy director at the World Vision Afghanistan aid agency, warned of more than 250,000 people "swelling the ranks" of those needing help to access basic needs and services if resources were not made available.

"This will mean more people living without proper shelter, access to nutritious food to feed their families, clean water, and by extension malnutrition and disease in a context where the healthcare system simply can't stretch," he added.