Original title: More than 800 killed after strong quake hits Afghanistan
More than 800 killed after strong quake hits Afghanistan 2 hours ago Share Save Yama Bariz BBC Afghan Service correspondent, Heading for quake-hit areas and Paulin Kola BBC News Share Save EPA Hospitals - already under strain - are reported to be overwhelmed More than 800 people have been killed - and nearly 3,000 injured - after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan just before midnight on Sunday, the United Nations’ humanitarian agency has said. Most of the deaths occurred in Kunar province, officials say, warning that the death toll may rise significantly as entire villages have been destroyed. The epicentre was in a remote mountainous area, making it difficult for rescue operations to be carried out. “The scale of devastation is unimaginable,” a Taliban official said. The disaster comes as Afghanistan reels from a severe drought, aid cuts and what the World Food Programme describes as an unprecedented hunger crisis. Watch: Helicopters are a ‘key lifeline’ for those