Survivors of an earthquake that killed more than 800 people and injured thousands in eastern Afghanistan have spent a night in the open, as rescue efforts continue.
Most of the deaths occurred in the mountainous Kunar province, which was closest to the epicentre of the 6.0 magnitude when it struck on Sunday night. Officials warn that the death toll may rise significantly as entire villages were destroyed.
Several nations have already pledged aid, while some villages remain inaccessible and local health facilities have been overwhelmed.
The disaster comes as Afghanistan reels from a severe drought, aid cuts and what the World Food Programme describes as an unprecedented hunger crisis.
The earthquake hit at 23:47 local time (19:47 GMT) on Sunday, some 27km (17 miles) east of Jalalabad – the country’s fifth-largest city, in eastern Nangarhar province.
Faridullah Fazli was fast asleep at home in Asadabad, on the banks of the Kunar River, when the tremor jolted him awake.
“There was a very strong earthquake, accompanied by sounds that were very scary”.
“We didn’t sleep until morning. After the earthquake, there were small tremors, and there are still.”
Mr Fazli said he went to the clinic in town, helping transport the dead and wounded into ambulances to be taken to a hospital further south in Nangarhar province.
“It was a very scary situation, just an atmosphere of fear and terror,” he said.
A resident of Mazar Dara, in the Nurgal region, said 95% of the village had been destroyed – with five to 10 injured people in every household.
