On 31 August 2025, at 23:47 AFT (19:17 UTC), a Mw 6.0 earthquake struck Nangarhar and Kunar provinces in Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. More than 1,100 people were killed and more than 3,500 others were injured.
Tectonic plate boundary map of the South Asian region
Much of Afghanistan is situated in a broad zone of continental deformation within the Eurasian plate. Seismic activity in Afghanistan is influenced by the subduction of the Arabian plate to the west and the oblique subduction of the Indian plate in the east. The subduction rate of the Indian plate along the continental convergent boundary is estimated to be 39mm/yr or higher. Transpression due to the plates interacting is associated with high seismicity within the shallow crust. Seismicity is detectable to a depth of 300km (190mi) beneath Afghanistan due to plate subduction.[2] These earthquakes beneath the Hindu Kush are the result of movement on faults accommodating detachment of the subducted crust.[3] Within the shallow crust, the Chaman Fault represents a major transform fault associated with large shallow earthquakes that forms the transpressional boundary between the Eurasian and Indian plates. This zone consists of seismically active thrust and strike-slip faults that have accommodated crustal deformation since the beginning of the formation of the Himalayan orogeny. These earthquakes tend to display strike-slip faulting due to its abundance and high deformation rate.[4]
Throughout Afghanistan, at least 1,100 people were killed, 3,500 were injured, thousands more were feared buried beneath collapsed buildings[7] and at least 1,000 homes collapsed.[11] The USGS estimated between 1,000 and 10,000 deaths were possible, with more than 1.1 million people exposed to very strong to violent shaking. Tremors were felt across a wide region, including Pakistan and India, with reports from Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, and New Delhi.[12] Most of the affected homes were made of mud and stone.[13] The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that at least 12,000 people were directly affected.[14] A day after the earthquake, the full scale of the damage had yet to be known, with many affected villages still unreachable.[15]
At least 800 people were killed and over 2,500 others were injured[16] in five districts of Kunar Province.[17] Hundreds of casualties were feared in Nurgal District alone,[14] where the villages of Wadir, Shomash, Masud, and Areet were reportedly destroyed, with many others being substantially damaged.[18][19] Up to 90% of residents were feared dead or injured in Wadir.[20] In the village of Mazar-e-Dara, dozens of fatalities, nearly a hundred injuries, and numerous collapsed homes were reported,[21] while 79 villagers died in Andarlachak.[7] An additional 200 deaths and 500 injuries were reported in Chawkay District.[15] Roads in Kunar were blocked by landslides caused by the earthquake, aftershocks, and heavy rains, preventing many areas from being accessed quickly.[14] In Nangarhar Province, 12 people were killed and 255 others were injured in Darai Nur District.[22]
Hours after the earthquake, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that local officials and volunteers had conducted rescue operations and provided aid to affected areas.[21] The affected area also saw flash flooding over the weekend that killed at least five people.[24] The Taliban government allocated 100 million Afghan afghanis (US$1.5 million) in response to the disaster, while Prime Minister Hasan Akhund established a special committee led by the minister of rural rehabilitation and development, Mohammad Younus Akhundzada.[22]
Due to having limited resources, the Taliban also requested relief from international aid organisations. Many volunteers in Nangarhar Province visited hospitals to donate blood to injured victims. Four helicopters carrying medical staff arrived at Nurgal District.[14] Several victims were airlifted to Nangarhar Regional Hospital,[25] with at least 40 flights carried out to transport 420 casualties. The Afghan Ministry of Defence said it transported 30 doctors and 800 kilograms of medical supplies into Kunar province by air.[26] The Afghan Red Crescent Society sent personnel to provide emergency assistance in affected areas.[14]
The United Nations sent aid teams to the affected areas.[27] Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, offered humanitarian aid, including medical supplies from the country.[15] India sent 1,000 tents and 15 tons of food to Afghanistan.[28]
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