'Thousands still trapped under rubble': Eyewitnesses describe Afghanistan earthquake horror; over 800 dead

At least 812 people have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured after a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, leaving entire villages flattened and thousands feared trapped beneath the rubble. Survivors spoke of chaos and devastation as the tremors shook homes in the mountainous provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, with shocks felt as far as Kabul and Islamabad.

According to UN figures, more than 12,000 people have been directly affected across four provinces, with Taliban officials warning the toll is likely to rise as rescue efforts struggle to reach remote valleys blocked by landslides.

Survivors recall ‘apocalypse’ as villages razed

Eyewitnesses described terrifying scenes as mud-brick houses collapsed while families slept. “We were all afraid,” said Matiullah Shahab, a journalist in Kunar, who told the BBC he felt 17 aftershocks through the night. In one village he visited, Andarlachak, 79 people died. “The villages I visited were destroyed,” he said.

Survivors like Rasheed Khan, who told the Guardian he lost his wife, three children and two brothers, fear the worst. “I fear thousands still remain trapped under the rubble,” he said.

Another resident, Ezzatullah Safi, told the BBC: “I woke to the screams of children, women, and animals. The earthquake was intense, and the night felt like a small apocalypse.” With power out and roads blocked, he said helicopters later airlifted the injured to clinics.

The Guardian reported the story of Hameed Jan, who was buried alive when his house collapsed in Piran village. Villagers dug for five hours to free him, but his wife, two sons and two brothers were killed. “It felt as if the entire mountain was collapsing on us,” he said.

Cleric Abdul Rahim described mass burials in Kunar’s Mazar valley: “The death toll is so high that graveyards are overflowing, and local people are busy digging graves in advance.”

Rescue efforts hampered

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed more than 800 deaths, telling Al Jazeera that 2,817 others were injured. Yet residents accused authorities of failing to respond adequately. “There are women and children pleading for help but there are no authorities present,” one villager told the Guardian. “Everyone is trapped under the rubble and we are helpless.”

Local disaster officials in Kunar told AFP that “many people are stuck under the rubble of their roofs,” while the UN warned that several villages remain unreachable. Helicopters have been deployed, but roads blocked by landslides have slowed access.

The earthquake struck just 27km from Jalalabad at a shallow depth of 8km, according to the US Geological Survey. Shallow quakes are typically more destructive, especially in Afghanistan where many homes are built of mud and stone.

International aid begins to arrive

The United Nations released $5m in emergency funds, with Secretary-General António Guterres pledging to “swiftly assess needs, provide emergency assistance and mobilise support.”

India was among the first to send help. The ministry of external affairs confirmed trucks loaded with food and 1,000 family tents had been delivered, with 15 tonnes of supplies moved to Kunar. External affairs minister S Jaishankar wrote on X that India “stands by Afghanistan at this difficult time.”

(With inputs from agencies)