Hope of finding survivors is dwindling after a powerful earthquake devastated eastern Afghanistan over the weekend, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving thousands injured.
Emergency services are struggling to reach remote mountainous villages, where many victims remain trapped under collapsed homes. Local official Ijaz Ulhaq Yaad said on Wednesday that aid had still not reached some villages in Kunar’s Nurgal district, where rescuers faced huge difficulties.
The 6.0-magnitude quake struck on Sunday in the border region near Pakistan, forcing residents to spend nights outdoors in fear of aftershocks. According to Taliban authorities, at least 1,411 people have been confirmed dead and 3,124 injured, making it one of the deadliest quakes in Afghanistan in decades.
Most casualties were in Kunar province, though Nangarhar and Laghman also reported fatalities and injuries.
In Mazar Dara village, 80-year-old survivor Gul Bibi told Reuters that her entire family was buried in the mud and debris of their home. “I lost everything. Only this grandson survived,” she said, holding the toddler in her arms.
Landslides triggered by the quake have blocked access to several already-isolated areas. Humanitarian group Save the Children said one of its teams was forced to walk 20 km with medical supplies on their backs to reach cut-off villages.
