800+ Killed After Strong Quake Hits Afghanistan

AFGHANISTAN – More than 800 people have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured after a magnitude-six earthquake struck Eastern Afghanistan just before midnight on Sunday.

The United Nations’ Humanitarian Agency has said most of the deaths are in Kunar Province – warning that the death toll may rise significantly as the quake has destroyed entire villages.

The epicenter is said to be in a remote mountainous area, making it difficult for rescue operations to be carried out.

The disaster comes as Afghanistan reels from a severe drought, aid cuts, and what the World Food Programme describes as an unprecedented crisis of hunger.