800 people and counting have been killed and another 1,300 wounded after a 6 magnitude earthquake that struck outside the eastern city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan.
The earthquake struck 17 miles from the eastern city of Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan, at around midnight local time (3:30 p.m. ET Sunday).
It was only five miles deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
Entire villages in the province of Kunar are believed to have been destroyed and dozens of houses turned into rubble, Taliban sources say.
Footage shows people digging through the rubble with their bare hands to rescue their trapped family members.
It is difficult to confirm the death toll immediately – and the number is set to rise in the coming hours – as the earthquake-hit areas are mountainous and remote.
Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said: ‘Figures from a few clinics show over 400 injured and dozens of fatalities.’
‘Because the earthquake hit a remote mountainous area, it will take time to get the exact information about human losses and damage to the infrastructure.’
Helicopters were shown ferrying out the affected, while residents helped soldiers and medics carry the wounded to ambulances.
