At least 250 people were killed after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near its border with Pakistan, according to official reports. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stated the quake occurred 17 miles from Jalalabad at midnight local time on Sunday, with subsequent aftershocks ranging from 4.5 to 5.2 magnitude.

Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Afghan Public Health Ministry, warned that precise casualty numbers and infrastructure damage would take time to confirm due to the earthquake’s impact on remote mountainous regions. “We have launched a massive rescue operation and mobilized hundreds of people to assist those in affected areas,” he said.

Afghanistan’s location atop multiple fault lines, combined with its rugged terrain, makes it highly susceptible to seismic activity and landslides. The recent quake struck at a shallow depth of 5 miles, amplifying its destructive power despite its moderate magnitude. Initial reports suggested up to 500 fatalities, though exact figures remain uncertain as many regions struggle to report losses.

Jalalabad, a key trade hub near the Pakistan border, is home to low-rise concrete and brick structures, with surrounding areas featuring vulnerable mud-brick and wooden homes. The city’s agricultural economy, reliant on crops like citrus and rice, faces additional challenges amid the disaster.

This marks the latest in a series of catastrophic earthquakes to hit Afghanistan, including a 6.3-magnitude quake in October 2023 that killed an estimated 4,000 people under the Taliban government’s reporting, though international estimates varied widely.