Rescue teams are racing against time after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, leaving more than 200 people dead and hundreds more injured.
The 6.0-magnitude quake hit just before midnight near Jalalabad, close to the border with Pakistan. Entire communities in the mountainous region have been devastated, with homes reduced to rubble and survivors desperately searching for loved ones.
Local officials fear the death toll will rise as rescuers struggle to reach remote villages, where landslides have blocked roads and communication lines remain fragile. In some districts, families are still trapped under collapsed buildings while neighbors dig through debris with their bare hands.
The tremor was felt across a wide area, including in Kabul, over 100 miles from the epicenter. Residents there described rushing into the streets in the middle of the night, terrified that their homes would collapse.
On Monday, officials reported at least 250 lives lost and more than 500 injured in several districts of Kunar province alone. Hospitals are overwhelmed with the wounded, and emergency shelters are being set up for those left homeless.
The region has also been rattled by multiple aftershocks, the strongest reaching a magnitude of 5.2, compounding the fear and destruction.
Afghanistan is no stranger to deadly earthquakes, especially in its mountainous border areas. Just two years ago, a quake in the west of the country claimed more than 2,000 lives, one of the worst in recent memory.
For survivors, the focus now is on pulling people from the rubble, finding the missing, and caring for the injured. Emergency teams are working with whatever resources they can muster, while families huddle in makeshift camps, fearful of what may come next.