PM Modi condoles loss of lives in Afghanistan earthquake; offers humanitarian aid

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives in the recent earthquake that struck Afghanistan, killing over 600 people and injuring more than 1,500.

In a post on X, he conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

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“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the earthquake in Afghanistan. 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,” he said.

The earthquake, which measured 6 on the Richter scale, struck eastern Afghanistan, with the epicenter located near the Pakistan border. The affected areas include Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, where rescuers are racing against time to find survivors. Afghanistan is prone to deadly earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India will extend assistance in this hour of need.

“The devastating earthquake in Kunar Province of Afghanistan is a matter of deep concern. Express our support and solidarity to the Afghan people as they respond to it. India will extend assistance in this hour of need. Our condolences to the families of the victims. And our prayers for early recovery of the injured,” he said in a social media post.

India has a history of providing assistance to Afghanistan in times of crisis. In 2022, after a devastating earthquake killed over 1,000 people, India expressed its commitment to providing aid and support. The international community has also come forward to offer support, with the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations expressing deep sympathy for the affected people and pledging assistance.

Rescue teams are navigating remote areas with limited communication to assess the full extent of the damage and provide aid, with officials noting that the toll is preliminary as efforts continue, the official media added.

Afghanistan is especially vulnerable to earthquakes as it sits on top of several fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet. The mountainous terrain of eastern Afghanistan is also prone to landslides, making it harder for emergency services to carry out rescues.

A series of earthquakes in its west killed many last year, underscoring the vulnerability of one of the world’s poorest countries to natural disasters.

Earlier, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake had struck Afghanistan on October 7, 2023, along with strong aftershocks. The Taliban government had estimated that at least 4,000 perished. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.

Over the past decade, more than 7,000 people have been killed in earthquakes in Afghanistan, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. There are an average of 560 deaths a year from earthquakes.

An earthquake in May 1998, in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces in northern Afghanistan, killed about 4,000 people. Nearly 100 villages and 16,000 houses were destroyed or damaged, and 45,000 people were made homeless.