At least 12 persons, including eight of one family, killed in Afghan quake

Mohibullah Niazi, a neighbour who helped successful the rescue efforts, said connected Saturday (April 4, 2026) that the 8 radical killed connected the outskirts of Kabul aft a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck bluish Afghanistan the erstwhile nighttime were a exile household precocious returned from neighbouring Iran.

There was lone 1 survivor: a lad of astir 3 years old, who was injured and has been hospitalised successful Kabul.

Afghanistan’s Deputy Government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat connected Saturday (April 4, 2026) accrued the wide decease toll from the quake to 12, with different 4 radical injured.

Mr. Fitrat said 5 homes were destroyed and different 33 importantly damaged, affecting 40 families successful the provinces of Kabul, Panjshir, Logar, Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan.

The Afghanistan Disaster Management Authority enactment the wide decease toll astatine nine. The crushed for the discrepancy was not instantly clear.

The household adjacent Kabul were among the millions of Afghan refugees who person precocious returned from Iran and Pakistan aft some countries launched crackdowns successful 2023 connected foreigners — peculiarly Afghans — surviving successful their countries.

Heavy rains implicit the past respective days, which person led to deadly floods successful galore parts of Afghanistan, had near the crushed sodden and soft. When the earthquake struck, the partition collapsed connected the family.

“My girl shouted to maine that a partition had fallen connected them. The full household ran, but determination were truthful galore large rocks,” Niazi recounted connected Saturday arsenic helium stood astatine the scene. “We tried our best.” On Saturday morning, piles of bricks and mud were each that were left, on with blankets, cooking utensils and different idiosyncratic belongings that were salvaged from the rubble and acceptable into a pile.

“For astir 3 minutes, I could perceive the voices of these people,” Niazi said. “But we couldn't bash anything. There were 2 oregon 3 of us, but this was not the enactment of 3 people.” Neighbours soon rushed to help, digging done the mud and rubble with spades and their hands. They alerted the section Taliban constabulary checkpoint, which sent rescuers and ambulances.