Afghanistan faces new aftershocks after massive quake deaths

Two strong aftershocks struck eastern Afghanistan within 12 hours, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) reported, sparking fears of further casualties and damage on Friday in an area where nearly 2200 people have died in earthquakes over the past four days.

The Taliban administration confirmed that the recent series of quakes has caused at least 2205 deaths and 3640 injuries so far. Rescue teams continue to struggle as aftershocks shake the affected regions. On Friday, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit Nangarhar province at a depth of 10 km, only hours after another tremor late Thursday night. Earlier in the week, a 6.0 magnitude quake on Sunday night caused massive destruction in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. That quake, one of the deadliest in years, flattened villages and killed hundreds of people. A second quake of magnitude 5.5 followed on Tuesday, sparking panic, blocking roads, and delaying rescue efforts in remote mountainous areas.

With houses largely built from stone, timber, and dry masonry, many families are afraid to return indoors and have chosen to stay outside in the open as aftershocks continue. Officials confirmed that more than 6700 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter. Naqibullah Rahimi, spokesperson for Nangarhar’s health department, said Thursday’s quake had its epicentre in Shiwa district near the Pakistan border, with early reports of additional damage. Meanwhile, rescue workers are still pulling bodies from the rubble as survivors face severe shortages of food, medical aid, and shelter.

The United Nations and humanitarian groups have warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis, stressing the urgent need for international support. Experts note that Afghanistan lies in a quake-prone zone, particularly the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, making the region highly vulnerable to frequent earthquakes.