The death toll from a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has risen to 800, with more than 1,300 injured, according to local authorities.
Foreign media report that helicopters are transporting the injured to safer areas, while rescue teams continue searching for survivors under the rubble.
In Kunar province, three villages were completely destroyed, and significant damage has been reported in many other villages.
The Afghan Ministry of Interior has warned that the number of deaths and injuries may increase as rescue operations continue.
Afghanistan is frequently affected by earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountains, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Last year, a series of earthquakes in the western region killed over 1,000 people, while a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on October 7, 2023, caused at least 4,000 fatalities.
