The death toll from a powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck Eastern Afghanistan surged past 1,400, with thousands more feared injured, as rescue teams scramble to reach remote mountainous villages.
Indrika Ratwatte, the U.N.'s deputy special representative for Afghanistan with the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, emphasized the compounding effect of the disaster when added to previous instability. He noted the earthquake, which had its epicenter in Nangarhar province, has impacted several other provinces, with the most significant devastation in Kunar province. While around 12,000 individuals have been directly impacted so far, he warned the number could potentially grow to hundreds of thousands due to homes destroyed, livestock killed, and other losses.
