Afghan Villagers Face Heartbreaking Aftermath of Devastating Earthquake

Tue Sep 30 2025 08:13:29 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake has struck eastern Afghanistan, leading to significant loss of life and destruction. Local residents share their experiences and the urgent need for aid.

In the early hours of Sunday, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Kunar and Nangarhar provinces in eastern Afghanistan, resulting in over 800 fatalities and widespread destruction. Survivors like Matiullah Shahab recount harrowing experiences, the struggle for aid, and the overwhelming silence of mourning in their communities. Rescue efforts are hampered by blocked roads and difficult terrain, increasing the urgency for humanitarian assistance.

Just before midnight on Sunday, Matiullah Shahab woke up to find his house in Afghanistan's remote Kunar province shaking. An earthquake measuring 6.0 magnitude had struck eastern Afghanistan, leaving at least 800 people dead, according to the UN.

Even though the epicentre of the quake was 16km (10 miles) away, the whole of Shahab's village of Asadabad trembled. The 23 family members who live with him ran out of their bedrooms as they feared the walls would fall in on them, and stayed awake all night in their garden. We were all afraid, he says.

The areas worst hit by the quake were Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, but it was felt as far away as Kabul and in neighbouring Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

When day broke, Matiullah - a freelance journalist and human rights activist - drove from his home to try to reach the remote mountainous area at the epicentre of the quake. He says he had to get out of his car and walk for two hours before he arrived at the worst-hit villages as there were rocks on the road.

He arrived at the village of Andarlachak to find several young children being treated by medics in the street. A pair of toddlers lay together on a stretcher with bruises on their chests and faces. Other children were wrapped in white sheets. Some 79 people died in that village alone.

I saw many dead bodies, Matiullah tells the BBC. I felt the aftershocks 17 times. He helped the local people dig graves for the many who had died. The villages I visited were destroyed, he says, recounting the devastation he witnessed.

Due to the blocked roads, Taliban government rescue operations have relied on helicopters, but the mountainous terrain means some places remain inaccessible, with reports of people dying under the rubble while awaiting rescue. Matiullah observed volunteers working desperately to rescue trapped individuals amidst the chaos.

Another resident in Kunar's Sokai district, Ezzatullah Safi, described the terrifying moment the earthquake struck, leaving his family in fear and uncertainty. Many survivors now sleep outdoors, facing the elements and urgently needing shelter.

The atmosphere in the region remains one of grief and desperation, with local communities appealing for support in the wake of this tragic disaster.