India sends aid to Afghanistan after earthquake kills over 800 people

India sent relief materials to Afghanistan after a 6-magnitude earthquake killed over 800 people, with more aid pledged by External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.

Updated on: Sep 1, 2025, 17:31:54 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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NEW DELHI: India on Monday dispatched relief materials to Afghanistan to help victims of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 800 people, even as external affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to assess the situation and pledge more aid.

Civil defence workers, locals, and army soldiers prepare to evacuate injured victims of an earthquake that killed hundreds and destroyed numerous villages in eastern Afghanistan, in Mazar Dara, Kunar province, on Sept. 1 (AP)

The magnitude 6 earthquake struck just before midnight local time in eastern Afghanistan, causing widespread destruction in Kunar province, which was at the epicentre. The Taliban said more than 800 people were killed and upwards of 2,000 injured, with entire villages destroyed and roads blocked by landslides.

“Spoke with Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi today. Expressed our condolences at the loss of lives in the earthquake,” Jaishankar said on social media.

Jaishankar said India has delivered 1,000 family tents in Kabul and the Indian mission sent 15 tonnes of food items to Kunar. “Further relief material will be sent from India starting tomorrow [Tuesday]. Wish early recovery of those injured. India stands by Afghanistan at this difficult time,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow at the loss of lives and said in a social media post: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult hour, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to provide all possible humanitarian aid and relief to those affected.”

While 800 people were reported dead and more than 2,000 injured in Kunar province, another nine deaths were reported from Nangarhar province, Taliban officials said. There were also reports of scores of people being injured in Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan provinces.

The casualty figures are expected to rise as rescue teams reach remote areas, the Taliban officials said. Rescuers were facing difficulties in accessing remote valleys and immediate needs included medical support, rescue equipment, shelter, food, and clean water, field hospitals and heavy machinery for rubble clearance, they said.

The earthquake caused the most destruction in Chawkay, Nurgal, Shigal and Manogai districts of Kunar province. Entire villages in Kunar’s Mazar Valley were reportedly buried under landslides. Severe damage was also reported from Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan provinces.

Rescue teams from the public health ministry were deployed to the affected regions with ambulances, medical staff, and supplies. Helicopters were airlifting the injured from inaccessible areas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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