Afghanistan earthquake death toll rises to 812, flattens villages

Kabul: The death toll from the earthquake that struck Afghanistan last Sunday, has risen to 812, with 2,800 injured. The earthquake, measuring 6.0...

Kabul: The death toll from the earthquake that struck Afghanistan last Sunday, has risen to 812, with 2,800 injured.

The earthquake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, struck Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush region, located near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

"The rooms and walls collapsed... killing some children and injuring others," 22-year-old Zafar Khan Gojar, who was evacuated from Nurgal to Jalalabad along with his brother, whose leg was broken, told AFP.

The earthquake epicentre was about 27 kilometres (17 miles) from Jalalabad, according to the USGS, which said it struck about eight kilometres below the Earth's surface.