Death toll from Afghanistan earthquake climbs to 2,205

KABUL -- The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan has climbed to 2,205, with 3,640 others injured, the Afghan Red Crescent Society reported Thursday.

Rescue operations remain underway amid reports that many people are still trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed homes, the organization said.

It added that the casualty figures are based on preliminary information and are expected to rise further.

Tents have been set up for displaced families in several locations, while the organized distribution of emergency relief supplies is ongoing, Afghan interim government deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said in a post on X.

The official said on Wednesday that the number of homes destroyed in the affected areas has reached 6,782.

The quake struck at 11:47 pm local time on Aug 31, with its epicenter located 27 km northeast of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, at a depth of eight km.