Earthquake in Afghanistan: Death toll rises to 800, PM Modi extends help

The Taliban regime of Afghanistan has said that the toll from Monday’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake has risen to around 800 dead and 2,500 injured.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) of India said that the earthquake struck at around midnight local time and had its epicentre around 27 kilometres from the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. More than 1.2 million live in the area affected by the earthquake.

Regarding the toll, Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP that around 800 people were killed and 2,500 injured in remote Kunar province alone in the mountainous area near the epicentre and another 12 people were killed and 255 were injured in neighbouring Nangarhar province.

Separately, as the earthquake struck a remote mountainous region, “it will take time to get the exact information about human losses and damage to the infrastructure”, said Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Afghan Public Health Ministry.

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“We have launched a massive rescue operation and mobilized hundreds of people to help people in the affected areas,” Zaman added.

Separately, Afghan interior ministry said that around 1,000 injured people have been evacuated to hospitals.

PM Modi extends help

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in Afghanistan and extended help.

India has frequently offered help in disasters in the neighbourhood. Most recently, India helped authorities in Myanmar after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in March. It had also sent relief personnel and supplies to Turkey after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and neighbouring Syria.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the earthquake in Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult hour, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to provide all possible humanitarian aid and relief to those affected,” said Modi on X.

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Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the earthquake in Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult hour, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to provide all possible humanitarian aid and relief to those…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025

Frequent earthquakes in Afghanistan

The Monday’s 6.3-mangnitude earthquake is the latest to hit Afghanistan.

The main quake was followed by many aftershocks, measuring 4.7, 4.3, and two shocks of 5.0 on the Richter scale, according to AFP.

In recent years, many devastating earthquakes have hit the country that have killed and injured scores of people.

This time, however, the situation is worsened by the fact that the Nangarhar province has also been hit by flooding that killed five people last week and destroyed crops and properties.

In October 2023, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck western Herat province and killed over 1,500 people and damaged or destroyed more than 63,000 homes.

In June 2022, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Paktika province and killed more than 1,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.