The earthquake occurred in the middle of the night, local time, and residents were taken by complete surprise.
Our home collapsed directly after I managed to get out in the powerful earthquake, says Mohammad Jawad in Wadir in Kunar province.
Buried villages
According to Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban regime, at least 800 people have died just in Kunar, figures confirmed by international organizations.
Several villages in the Nurgal district in Kunar are reported to be completely buried by earth and rubble. The areas Sawkay, Watapur, Manogi and Chapa Dara are also severely affected.
"We are now sending medical teams to the worst affected parts of Kunar. Rescue efforts are hindered by aftershocks and blocked roads. Parts of the mountainous region are isolated and communication is poor", says Åsa Runström Awad in a statement from Save the Children.
The extent of the disaster is difficult to oversee, notes Save the Children's representative Samira Sayed Rahman in Afghanistan:
"Children and their families need urgent help - with the likely extent of the destruction, they need food, clean water, protection and necessary equipment."
Overcrowded hospitals
The relatively shallow earthquake (eight kilometers) had a magnitude of 6.0 and its center was 27 kilometers from Jalalabad, which is the country's fifth largest city. The earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, where two had magnitudes of 5.2 and 4.7.
In the central town of Jalalabad, hospitals could not cope with the overwhelming number of patients who needed emergency care.
The region is located near the mountainous border with Pakistan. Buildings are reported to have shaken both in Afghanistan's capital Kabul and Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
