Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan kills more than 800 people, injures 2,500
Rescuers comb rubble of homes in a remote mountainous area after an earthquake struck at a relatively shallow depth on Sunday
Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in the dead of the night in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided on Monday by the Taliban government.
The disaster will further stretch the resources of a nation already grappling with humanitarian crises, from a sharp drop in aid to a huge pushback of its citizens from neighbouring countries.
The 6.0 magnitude quake late on Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighbouring Nangarhar province, causing extensive damage.
The quake at 11.47pm was centred 27km (17 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad, the US Geological Survey said. It was just 8km (5 miles) deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed.
Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through the rubble with their hands.
Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are poorly built.