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September 29, 2025

Andrew Campbell 

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake that destroyed cities and villages near the Pakistani border late on August 31 left at least 2,205 people dead and 3,640 injured. Volunteers and rescuers continued to remove remains from the debris. It was anticipated that the death toll would increase.

More than 5,400 dwellings were also demolished by the severe earthquake, according to a previous government statement. Relief workers have found it challenging to reach the isolated mountainous regions most affected by the earthquake due to heavy rain, landslides, and damaged roads. Meanwhile, the nation's rescue efforts have been severely hampered by recent US aid cuts.

The Taliban Ministry of Guidance, Hajj, and Religious Affairs ordered Friday preachers and clerics to discuss earthquake causes in their sermons on September 4. Clerics and preachers in Afghanistan have been instructed by the Taliban to proclaim that the recent catastrophic earthquake in the east of the country was God's punishment. The causes of earthquakes were attributed to "people's sins, defiance of divine commands, and the spread of crime among Muslims."